A rare and shimmering deep-sea fish nearly five feet long washed up on Seaside Beach in northwestern Oregon earlier this week. The discovery provided researchers with a rare chance to study a mysterious ocean dweller known as the lancetfish.
The creature, noted for its large eyes and fang-like teeth, was discovered on Tuesday, April 22, according to a statement from the Seaside Aquarium.
Typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, lancetfish have also been spotted feeding as far north as Alaska's Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Occasionally, these elusive fish turn up on Oregon's coast during the spring and summer months.
Despite their wide geographic range, lancetfish remain largely a mystery to scientists. They inhabit the ocean's "twilight zone," a dimly lit region approximately one mile beneath the surface, where little light penetrates and few species are studied in depth.
"They are not picky eaters," the Seaside Aquarium noted. In fact, lancetfish are known to consume more than 90 different species of marine life. Their weak digestive systems mean that the contents of their stomachs are often well-preserved, giving scientists a window into their diet and, more broadly, the structure of marine food webs.
Researchers say studying these stomach contents can reveal how oceanic food chains are shifting over time and how they may be affected by changing climate conditions.
Each rare appearance of a lancetfish ashore provides valuable data for understanding the deep sea and the creatures that inhabit it.
