Enjopy this one-minute video of a largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus), the “liquid metal fish”, also called the “beltfish”. As you can see, it’s a predator, and it’s gone some set of choppers. Its metallic color apparently camouflages it from prey. And look at that dorsal fin!
Some info from Wikipedia (their bolding):
The largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) or beltfish is a member of the cutlassfish family, Trichiuridae. This common to abundant species is found in tropical and temperate oceans throughout the world. The taxonomy is not fully resolved, and the Atlantic, East Pacific and Northwest Pacific populations are also known as Atlantic cutlassfish, Pacific cutlassfish and Japanese cutlassfish, respectively. This predatory, elongated fish supports major fisheries.
I wish they wouldn’t hold these things so long out of the water, as it makes them suffer. And I hope even more that they didn’t kill it.
Wow! What a cool fish!
Wow! I have never seen a fish like that. Beautiful. I learned something new today. Thank you Jerry.
Nice little gem to turn up in my email.
The world is full of wonderful things.
Beautiful.
We used to catch these Cutlassfish routinely in East-coastal Florida. Although fascinating and rather beautiful fish, we considered them somewhat of a nuisance because we were trying to catch edible Sea Trout and Snook.
We now regularly catch them in MD where I work part-time in the recreational fishing industry. They are a somewhat new member of the fish communities there as I do not (and other fishermen do not) recall seeing them until the last 15 years or so. They are excellent table fare, either cooked or as sashimi.
The cruelty visited on fish as a matter of course by both professional fishing and by recreational fishers is extremely disturbing to me.
You are a vegetarian? Also, what kills more animals: a forest converted into a corn field or a sustainably harvested fish?