Why might the black swallower eat such big meals?
At only 25 cm long, the black swallower often eats fish much larger than itself with the help of an expanding stomach. Sometimes the meal is so large that there isn’t enough time for digestion before it starts to decompose.
How is the black swallower adapted to scarce food?
The black swallower is a deep-sea fish that takes on much bigger prey, and then lugs around its digesting meal in a stomach that hangs below, a bit like a grocery bag. And in the little-populated deep, the fish can take time to digest these larger prey items without fear of being menaced, Sutton says.
When was the black swallower discovered?
1864
Quick Facts
| Other Names | Snaketooth fish |
| Size | Largest recorded specimen 25 cm (about 10 inches) |
| Discovery | James Yate Johnson, 1864, off Bermuda. |
| Eats what? | Anything up to four times its length and 10 times its mass |
| Eats how? | Jaws open very wide and stomach expands to accommodate large prey |
How does a black swallower fish reproduce?
11. They have a simple way to reproduce. The reproduction of black swallowers is considered to be oviparous, which means the female fish simply lays eggs and that’s it. These eggs are about 1.1 to 1.3 millimeters (0.043 to 0.051 inches) in diameter and gradually travel to the surface of the ocean.
What fish has the largest stomach?
The black swallower feeds on bony fish, which are swallowed whole. With its greatly distensible stomach, it is capable of swallowing prey over twice its length and 10 times its mass.
When was the black swallower found?
2007
Even though the fish is known for its ability to eat or swallow large fish, sometimes eating more than its capacity can also prove fatal. And that is how the first black swallower fish was discovered in 2007, when a swallower of 7.5 in (19 cm) was found dead on the coast of Grand Cayman.
How does a black swallower reproduce?
They have a simple way to reproduce The reproduction of black swallowers is considered to be oviparous, which means the female fish simply lays eggs and that’s it. These eggs are about 1.1 to 1.3 millimeters (0.043 to 0.051 inches) in diameter and gradually travel to the surface of the ocean.
What is the scientific name for black swallower?
Chiasmodon niger
Black swallower/Scientific names
Chiasmodontidae – black swallowers, deepsea swallowers. Genus. Chiasmodon Johnson, 1864. Species. Chiasmodon niger Johnson, 1864 – black swallower.
How big is a swallower fish?
about 10 inches
Quick Facts
| Common Name | Black swallower |
| Scientific Name | Chiasmodon niger |
| Other Names | Snaketooth fish |
| Size | Largest recorded specimen 25 cm (about 10 inches) |
| Discovery | James Yate Johnson, 1864, off Bermuda. |
Is the black swallower real?
The black swallower, Chiasmodon niger, is a species of deep sea fish in the family Chiasmodontidae. It is known for its ability to swallow fish larger than itself. It has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical waters, in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones at a depth of 700–2,745 m (2,297–9,006 ft).
What kind of fish is the black swallower?
The black swallower ( Chiasmodon niger) can turn a fish more than twice its length and 10 times its own mass into just that. Slender, scaleless and at just 25cm long, the black swallower is found in tropical and subtropical waters in the north and south-western Atlantic Ocean, and it has the perfect body for devouring other bony fishes…
Where do Black swallowers live in the ocean?
Black swallower. It has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical waters, in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones at a depth of 700–2,745 m (2,297–9,006 ft). It is a very common and widespread ocean fish; of its genus, it is the most common species in the North Atlantic.
What kind of fish swallows its prey whole?
The Black Swallower is like the Boa Constrictor of fish, as it swallows its prey whole. Take a moment to picture eating something twice your size in one bite. Makes you feel better about the last time you binge ate.
What kind of body does a black swallower have?
The Black Swallower does not have any scales, having a smooth soft skin to the touch. The most striking feature of the Black Swallower is its large stomach. This fish evolved to eat large fish, much larger than its own body. It’s mouth is lined with super sharp teeth that dig into its prey preventing it from getting away.