Facts about Fangtooth Fish

1. 06

   Fangtooth fish brains are among the smallest relative to body size of any fish, weighing less than 0.1 percent of their total body weight.

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2. 05

   Fangtooth fish typically measure only 6 inches long despite their fearsome appearance and disproportionately massive fangs.

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3. 04

   Fangtooth fish possess a hinged skull structure that allows their lower jaw to drop nearly perpendicular to their body, enabling them to swallow prey nearly as large as themselves.

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4. 03

   Fangtooth fish eyes are positioned on top of their heads rather than on the sides, allowing them to look upward to detect silhouettes of prey against the faint light filtering from above.

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5. 02

   Living at depths between 200 and 2,000 meters, fangtooth fish produce their own light through photophores along their bodies to attract prey in the deep ocean.

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6. 01

   The fangtooth fish's teeth are so large relative to its head that it must unhinge its skull to close its mouth completely.

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