Vaillant’s Dragonfish

Fish > Dragonfish

Vaillant’s Dragonfish (Bathophilus vaillanti) is an elusive, predatory deep-sea fish belonging to the family Stomiidae (barbeled dragonfishes), inhabiting the perpetual darkness of the central Atlantic Ocean at depths ranging from 400 down to over 2,000 meters....

Giant Hatchetfish

Fish > Deep-Sea Stomiiformes

The Giant Hatchetfish (Argyropelecus gigas) is the largest and most magnificent member of the deep-sea marine hatchetfish family Sternoptychidae, inhabiting the shadowy twilight zone of oceans circumglobally. Named for its extreme, blade-thin lateral compression that...

Dana Viperfish

Fish > Viperfishes

The Dana Viperfish (Chauliodus danae) is a fearsome, iconic deep-sea predator prowling the twilight mesopelagic realm between 1,600 and 6,500 feet (500–2,000 m) beneath the ocean surface. Belonging to the stomiid family Stomiidae, this specialized creature is famous...

Snake Mackerel

Fish > Scombroids & Gempylids

The Snake Mackerel (Gempylus serpens) is an elongated, predatory pelagic fish prowling tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Renowned in maritime history through Thor Heyerdahl’s famed Kon-Tiki expedition—where leaping specimens landed aboard the balsa raft...

Javelin Spookfish

Fish > Opisthoproctidae & Barreleyes

The Javelin Spookfish (Bathylychnops exilis) is one of the most anatomically extraordinary creatures swimming in the ocean’s twilight zone. Belonging to the barreleye family Opisthoproctidae, this slender, lance-shaped pelagic predator possesses what is widely...