NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Info
Nature is extraordinarily inventive when it comes to the development of species and their characteristics.
Anyone who thinks about fish will automatically think of the element “water” and less of the element “air”. It is only when you start thinking about the different types of fish that you start to consider the very special features of some species, such as the “flying fish”, which, when in danger, can catapult themselves out of the water with the help of their tail fin and, under good conditions, can “fly” up to 100 meters to escape potential predators, such as the fast golden mackerel (Coryphaena hippurus).
Admittedly, a great adaptation of nature!
Now we come to another fish that few people have ever seen or heard of, the eponymous tripod fish, spider fish or also tripod fish.
The reason why this fish and its relatives are largely unknown is that its habitat is in the depths of the seas and oceans, more precisely between about 900 and about 5000 meters deep!
Photos of such deep-sea species can only be taken with manned or unmanned, cable-guided underwater vehicles, which is difficult in the case of Bathypterois viridensis anyway, because these fish do not occur in large quantities, they are also completely black and can only be identified and photographed by a strong lighting system on the ROV.
The tripod fish is characterized by its extremely long tail and pelvic fins, which are longer than the standard length of the fish, relatively short pectoral fins and lack of a dorsal fin.
When resting, they rest motionless on their extremely long belly and tail fins on the deep-sea plain.
The tail and belly fins can reach a length of 100cm.
Bathypterois viridensis stands with its face in the current and holds its long pectoral fins upright or forward to spot prey drifting in the current.
Special pads at the tips of the pelvic and tail fins allow the trevally to stand out against the soft sediment.
Some scientists suspect that the animals can pump water into the long fins to achieve stability.
Video of a tripod fish at a depth of 750 meters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOKdog8zbXw
Their extremely long caudal and pelvic rays enable animals to stand out from the ground.
They often orient their pectoral fins upright or forward, thereby supporting themselves upward to detect sensory information about incoming prey.
Since the tripod fish is completely blind, it must rely entirely on its motion sensors.
Bathypterois viridensis feeds mainly on benthopelagic organisms, such as small crustaceans and gelatinous plankton, which swim in the current and also literally swim into the mouth of the fish.
Underwater ROV images have revealed the tracks created when these fish “walk” on their pelvic fins and lower caudal lobe over the seafloor.
Spiderfish (family Ipnopidae) are simultaneous hermaphrodites. They have an ovotestis, which contains functional male and female reproductive tissue.
Description:
The body of Bathypterois viridensis is white with three dark bands, one in front of the origin of the dorsal fin, one behind the dorsal fin and one on the tail stock.
The head is black and the caudal fin is pale with a dark base.
Synonyms:
Bathypoterois viridensis (Roule, 1916) · unaccepted (misspelling)
Bathypterois nigrescens Parr, 1934 · unaccepted
Belonepterois viridensis Roule, 1916 · unaccepted (misspelling)
Belonopterois viridensis Roule, 1916 · unaccepted
Anyone who thinks about fish will automatically think of the element “water” and less of the element “air”. It is only when you start thinking about the different types of fish that you start to consider the very special features of some species, such as the “flying fish”, which, when in danger, can catapult themselves out of the water with the help of their tail fin and, under good conditions, can “fly” up to 100 meters to escape potential predators, such as the fast golden mackerel (Coryphaena hippurus).
Admittedly, a great adaptation of nature!
Now we come to another fish that few people have ever seen or heard of, the eponymous tripod fish, spider fish or also tripod fish.
The reason why this fish and its relatives are largely unknown is that its habitat is in the depths of the seas and oceans, more precisely between about 900 and about 5000 meters deep!
Photos of such deep-sea species can only be taken with manned or unmanned, cable-guided underwater vehicles, which is difficult in the case of Bathypterois viridensis anyway, because these fish do not occur in large quantities, they are also completely black and can only be identified and photographed by a strong lighting system on the ROV.
The tripod fish is characterized by its extremely long tail and pelvic fins, which are longer than the standard length of the fish, relatively short pectoral fins and lack of a dorsal fin.
When resting, they rest motionless on their extremely long belly and tail fins on the deep-sea plain.
The tail and belly fins can reach a length of 100cm.
Bathypterois viridensis stands with its face in the current and holds its long pectoral fins upright or forward to spot prey drifting in the current.
Special pads at the tips of the pelvic and tail fins allow the trevally to stand out against the soft sediment.
Some scientists suspect that the animals can pump water into the long fins to achieve stability.
Video of a tripod fish at a depth of 750 meters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOKdog8zbXw
Their extremely long caudal and pelvic rays enable animals to stand out from the ground.
They often orient their pectoral fins upright or forward, thereby supporting themselves upward to detect sensory information about incoming prey.
Since the tripod fish is completely blind, it must rely entirely on its motion sensors.
Bathypterois viridensis feeds mainly on benthopelagic organisms, such as small crustaceans and gelatinous plankton, which swim in the current and also literally swim into the mouth of the fish.
Underwater ROV images have revealed the tracks created when these fish “walk” on their pelvic fins and lower caudal lobe over the seafloor.
Spiderfish (family Ipnopidae) are simultaneous hermaphrodites. They have an ovotestis, which contains functional male and female reproductive tissue.
Description:
The body of Bathypterois viridensis is white with three dark bands, one in front of the origin of the dorsal fin, one behind the dorsal fin and one on the tail stock.
The head is black and the caudal fin is pale with a dark base.
Synonyms:
Bathypoterois viridensis (Roule, 1916) · unaccepted (misspelling)
Bathypterois nigrescens Parr, 1934 · unaccepted
Belonepterois viridensis Roule, 1916 · unaccepted (misspelling)
Belonopterois viridensis Roule, 1916 · unaccepted
