The Chiasmodon Aka Black Swallower Fish Can Swallow 10 Times Larger Than Its Size
The Chiasmodon aka Black Swallower fish can swallow 10 times larger than its sizeand it is a well know capacity or specialty of this species. The black swallower scientific nameis Chiasmodon nigeris a deep-sea fish belonging to the family Chiasmodontidae that lives in the ocean depths.
When it comes to hot-dog eating contests, you've probably noticed that the people who come out on top are frequently unexpectedly thin. They open their mouths wide, barely chew the food, and swallow it down as rapidly as they can before their stomachs begin to hurt from the discomfort. When you're in the ocean's twilight zone, being able to swallow more than you can chew is critical for your life.
The black swallower, on the other hand, takes the cake—or, rather, the fish. The fish can swallow other fish whole because of its balloon-like stomach, huge mouth, and long lower jaw, which allows it to consume fish up to twice its length and 10 times its weight, similar to the way snakes can swallow a whole deer. To make room for prey, hooked, backward-pointing teeth retract and interlock to keep it in place.
It can be found in tropical and subtropical waters, in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones, at depths ranging from 700 to 2,745 metres (2,297 to 9,006 feet), around the world. It is an extremely common and extensive ocean fish; it is the most frequent species in the North Atlantic and the most common species in its genus.
It is found in freshwater and saltwater (9.8 in).
Body Structure
The body is elongated and compressed, with no scales, and it is a uniform brownish-black in colour with no variation in hue. Its head is long and snub-nosed, and it has medium-big eyes and a large mouth. Both jaws are lined with a single row of sharp, depressible teeth that interlock when the mouth is closed. When the mouth is closed, the lower jaw protrudes past the top jaw. Canines are formed by enlarging the first three teeth in each jaw to form canines.
On thepreoperculum, there is a little lower spine that can be felt. In contrast to the pectoral fins, which are lengthy and comprise 12–15 (typically 13) rays, the pelvic fins are tiny and have just five rays. The first dorsal fin is spiny, with 10–12 spines, while the second is longer, with one spine and 26–29 soft rays. The second dorsal fin is longer, with one spine and 26–29 soft rays. The anal fin is made up of one spine and 26–29 soft rays that are arranged in a V shape. The caudal fin is forked with nine rays on each side. The lateral line is continuous, with two pores per body segment, and it is a continuous line.
The black swallower subsists on bony fish, which it consumes in its whole. It is capable of consuming prey that is more than twice its length and the Chiasmodon aka Black Swallower fish can swallow 10 times larger than its size. By means of the suspensorium, which is located at its front end, its upper jaws are articulated with the skull, allowing the jaws to swing down and swallow things that are larger than the swallower's head.
According to Theodore Gill, the swallower seizes target fish by the tail and then "walks" its jaws over the prey until it is completely coiled inside the stomach before swallowing it whole.
Some studies have uncovered evidence that black swallowers have swallowed fish that were so huge that they could not be digested before decomposition set in, and the release of gases as a result propelled the swallower to the ocean's surface. In reality, this is how the vast majority of known specimens were discovered and collected.
A black swallower measuring 19 cm (7.5 in) in length was discovered dead off the coast of Grand Cayman in 2007. An 86 cm (34 in) long snake mackerel (Gempylus serpens) was found in its stomach, which was four and a half times the length of the fish itself.
Black swallowers are rarely seenin their natural environment, which is between 700 and 3,000 metres (3,000 and 10,000 feet) below the surface. Nonetheless, deceased specimens have been discovered float at the surface of the ocean with what appears to be a semi-transparent spare tyre hanging from their belly, which were revealed to be loaded with barely digested larger fish.
Much while its feeding habits might sometimes result in a one-way trip to the ocean's surface, the black swallower spends the vast bulk of its time in the twilight zone—or the even deeper bathypelagic zone—of the ocean. A sneaky hunter, the fish is distinguished by its black, scaleless body. The "eat first, ask questions later" strategy appears to be working for this species, as black swallowers may be seen in large numbers in the temperate and tropical Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions, respectively.
"It’s a deep water fish. The ability evolved because it works where a fish might not find something to eat every day"
_Technnical_Customer_1 (Reddit)
"So in nature, you get too greedy, you might explode. Mother Nature, now do the billionaires…."
_multiplesneezer (Reddit)
"Cocaine and depression show yourselves!"
_PristineNoodles (Reddit)
"With some gulper eels, the prey starts to decay while being digested, and the decay gases make gulper float up to the surface.
That makes the gulper’s organs explode from the change in pressure as a final F-you from the prey."
_OliRigiExplosions (Reddit)
Meet The Black Swallower: Nature's Top Competitive Eater
How Big Is A Black Swallower Fish?
The Black Swallower is a deep-sea fish with a distinct eating style that is difficult to duplicate. The Black swallower, which stands (or rather swims) at an average length of 10cm, is most known for its ability to consume fish that are larger than itself. Much, much larger. The Black Swallower, also known as Chiasmodon niger, can grow to be only 25cm in length at its largest known size.
Conclusion
When your eyes are larger than your stomach, it becomes a race between digestion and the accumulation of gases from rotting fish in your stomach—and the black swallower may lose the race on occasion because the Chiasmodon aka Black Swallower fish can swallow 10 times larger than its size.
About The Authors
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