Family Stomiidae

Common names:  dragonfishes and viperfishes

Distribution:  Worldwide meso to bathypelagic fishes. 

General description and features:   These fishes are generally elongate with rows of photophores on their bellies.  Many possess a chin barbel at the tip of which is a bioluminescent lure used to attract unwitting prey.  All have large mouths full of large teeth (some exceedingly large!).

Feeding:  Feeding diversity is fairly high within this group with some species specializing on fish and others on shrimp.  Generally these animals feed on whatever they can fit in their mouths.  Prey items can be very large in relation to body size.  The viperfish, for instance, has a hinging jaw which is used to increase the gape and allow passage of large fishes.

Reproduction and life history: 

A viperfish, Chauliodus macouni, peering out of the dark (Photo by J. C. Drazen).  Note the enormous teeth especially the two large lower teeth that extend up into grooves on the forehead when the mouth is closed!

The drawing shows how the viperfish jaw hinges to allow a nearly 180 degree opening of the mouth.  Drawing taken from N. B. Marshall, Aspects of Deep Sea Biology (1954).

Blackbelly dragonfish, Stomias atriventer, collected off Southern California (Photo by J. C. Drazen).  The lure tip is luminous and three pronged, perhaps to mimic the appendages of a small crustacean?

This Longfin dragonfish, Tactostoma macropus, posed long enough for the ROV to catch it "yawning"!  Notice the rows of short pointy teeth.