Overview
The fangtooth looks like a nightmare shrunk down to the size of your hand. It has a large head, a stubby dark body, and a mouth crammed with long, sharp teeth. For its body size, no fish in the ocean has bigger fangs.
Despite its fearsome face, the fangtooth is only about six inches long and is harmless to people. It lives in some of the deepest water any fish is found in, cruising the cold blackness in search of a meal.
| Where it lives | Open deep ocean water, both mid-depths and much deeper |
| Range | Deep oceans worldwide, mostly warm and mild zones |
| Adult size | About 6 in (16 cm) long |
| Diet | Fish and crustaceans |
| Lifespan | Not well known |
| Depth or habitat | Usually about 1,600 to 6,500 ft (500 to 2,000 m), sometimes deeper |
| Keep at home? | No, it lives in the deep sea |
Its weirdest feature
The fangtooth's two biggest lower teeth are so long that the fish would stab its own brain if it closed its mouth normally. Instead, it has a pair of special pockets, one on each side of its brain, where those giant fangs slide in safely.
Surviving the dark deep
In the food-poor deep sea, the fangtooth cannot afford to be picky. Its huge teeth let it grab and hold almost anything it bumps into, and it will eat prey a good fraction of its own size when it gets lucky.
How it hunts
It is thought to be a wandering hunter that bumps into food more than it chases it. Its body has special sensors along the sides that feel movement in the water, helping it find prey in the pitch dark.
Life in the deep sea
The adult fangtooth lives in cold, black, high-pressure water thousands of feet down. Baby fangtooths look so different, with lighter color and small teeth, that scientists once thought they were a completely separate kind of fish.
An amazing fact
The fangtooth holds the record for the largest teeth of any fish in the ocean compared to its body size, which is impressive for an animal only about six inches long.
Fun facts
- It has the largest teeth for its body size of any ocean fish.
- Its longest teeth slide into special pockets beside its brain.
- It is only about 6 inches (16 cm) long.
- Young fangtooths look so different they were once thought to be another species.
- It lives thousands of feet down in the cold, dark deep.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the fangtooth have such big teeth?
Big teeth help it grab and hold onto any prey it finds, which matters a lot where food is rare in the deep sea.
How does it close its mouth without hurting itself?
Its longest fangs fit into two special pockets on either side of its brain when its mouth closes.
Is the fangtooth dangerous to people?
No. It is only about six inches long and lives far too deep to ever meet a swimmer.
Can it be kept at home?
No. It belongs to the deep sea and cannot live in a home tank.
