Chiasmodon

Chiasmodon

 

a genus of pelagic fish of the family Chiasmodontidae of the order Perciformes. The body length generally ranges from 10 to 15 cm, sometimes reaching 28 cm. The mouth is very large, with sharp, canine-like, teeth. Chiasmodon is capable of swallowing prey much larger than itself, in which case the stomach and abdominal walls distend considerably. The genus includes several species, which are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the World Ocean, inhabiting depths of 250–300 m or more. Best known is the black swallower (Ch. niger), which is found in the Atlantic Ocean and is known to swallow fish twice its length and six to 12 times its weight.

REFERENCE

Zhizn’ zhivotnykh, vol. 4, part 1. Moscow, 1971.