Black Swallower

deep sea · extreme animals · ocean

Tiny but mighty. The black swallower is only about 6 inches long, yet it can swallow fish that are much, much larger. Its body stretches like a balloon to fit huge meals inside.

Lives in darkness. This fish lives in the deep ocean where sunlight never reaches, in the twilight zone thousands of feet below the surface. It hunts in complete darkness using its large eyes to spot prey.

Enormous hinged mouth. The black swallower's mouth unhinges and stretches to incredible sizes, allowing it to engulf fish almost twice its own length. Its jaw is specially designed like a trap that can open impossibly wide.

Dark as night. This fish is jet black all over, which helps it blend perfectly into the dark deep sea where it lives. Its dark color makes it nearly invisible to other creatures down there.

Rare giant meals. After swallowing a huge fish, the black swallower doesn't need to eat again for a very long time. It slowly digests its enormous meal while waiting weeks or months for another hunting opportunity.