Quick Take
- Reaching 20 inches, the viper dogfish achieves the capability of swallowing large prey.
- Living at 1,000 feet creates light constraints that complicate the viper dogfish hunt.
- A skull lacking fused bones offers a counterintuitive benefit for this deep-sea predator.
- Performing vertical migration is the essential process required for nocturnal feeding.
The ocean is home to some of the creepiest animals out there. It feels like the deeper you go in the water, the stranger and weirder the animals look. One such example is the viper dogfish, a small, deep-sea shark. They are creepy because of their strange fangs and snake-like appearance. This Instagram reel by @explainingtheocean shows one of these vipers up close! Continue reading here to learn more about these creepy fish.
The viper dogfish has extremely sharp teeth that it uses to latch onto prey.
About the Viper Dogfish
The viper dogfish, or Trigonognathus kabeyai, is a deep-sea shark native to the Pacific Ocean. They mostly inhabit the coastal waters of Japan and Taiwan, but live so deep in the water that they are not often seen alive. Compared to other sharks, viper dogfish are on the smaller side, growing to around 18 to 20 inches long. During the day, they usually dwell roughly 1,000 feet deep, only ascending at night when the sun is less harsh.
One reason that they may ascend is due to a behavior called diel vertical migration. Diel vertical migration occurs when billions of animals, such as zooplankton, fish, jellyfish, and more, ascend to feed when light is low. This helps them hide from predators, and they descend back down during the day. Viper dogfish eat bony fish and crustaceans. Because they live at such great depths, little is known about their behavior and diet, so they may feed on more types of prey than currently documented.
The Viper Dogfish’s Creepy Jaw
Like other deep-sea creatures, viper dogfish are quite terrifying to look at. One feature that is almost disturbing to see is their jaws. As seen in the video above, viper dogfish have extendable jaws with fang-like teeth, similar to a viper. Their jaws can open so wide due to their bone arrangement.
While most sharks have loosely fused jaws that allow for some extension, viper dogfish take this to an extreme. The lack of fusion to the skull allows them to swing their jaw out and forward, increasing the gape. This allows them to consume relatively large prey items for their size and efficiently capture food in the deep sea. So, while their jaws may be the scariest feature of these sharks, they are also their greatest asset, making them amazing hunters.
