Hammerjaw

Hammer jaw fish ( Omosudis lowii )

The hammer jaw fish ( Omosudis lowii ( Gr.: " omo " = shoulder; Lat: . " Sudis " = a fish (pike, salmon) ) ) lives in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean at depths 0-4000 meters ( usually between 100 and 1000 m ). The fish make vertical migrations, spend the day on at great depths and migrate with dusk to the surface.

Features

Hammer jaw fish are 20 to 23 inches long, are brownish and the sides silvery iridescent on the back. The black peritoneum is visible. They have a relatively large head and a deeply divided mouth with large fangs. Two particularly large sit in the lower jaw. You have no scales, no swim bladder, no sensory pores and no light organs. The fish have 39 to 41 vertebrae.

• Fins formula: Dorsal 9-12, Anal 14-16, 14-16 pectoral.

System

Omosudis lowii is usually provided only species in the monotypic family Omosudidae. The American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson orders the way of the lance fish ( Alepisauridae ).