Giant oarfish

One of stranded on the Pacific coast of the USA 1996 belt fish

The belt fish Regalecus glesne is a band-shaped, very long marine fish from the order of gloss Fishy ( Lampriformes ). In the Guinness Book of World Records, he is listed as the longest bony fish.

It occurs worldwide in all oceans between 72 ° north latitude and 52 ° south latitude before, also in the Mediterranean. Its habitat ranges from 200 to 1500 meters depth.

Features

This belt fish can be 17 meters long, but tend to stay with a length of five to eight meters. The maximum published weight is 272 kg. Your body is band-like, narrow and long, with dots and blue and black stripes on silvery background. The head is bluish, which run nearly the whole length of the body extending dorsal fin contrast, bright red. It is supported by about 400 soft rays. The ten to twelve hard jets form a red Dorsalkamm on the head. When excited, they are thickened at the ends and spread only at the base connected by a membrane fin rays. The pelvic fins consist of only a single, very long, strap-like fin ray. Regalecus glesne has 40-58 gill Reuse rays.

Because of their size and their appearance is thought that belt fish represent the origin of many legends of sea serpents. The red Dorsalkamm corresponds to the flame-red mane, which should have many sea snakes.

Way of life

Belt fish feed mainly on krill, they also eat small fish and cephalopods. Spawning season is from July to December. The larvae live near the ocean surface.

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