For animals to survive in this very cold and dark environment, they must be able to grab food when it is available. The Viperfish is well suited for predatory feasting. I'm going to try to describe this scary-looking fish, but you really have to see it to believe it, so click on this link for photos: http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfa...
Viperfish were named that because of their teeth. The sharp fangs protrude from the lower jaw and shoot up outside the mouth. The upper jaw has smaller teeth. Like most deep-sea animals, the Viperfish has large eyes and a long first dorsal fin ray with light organs. Its body is a silvery dark blue. On each side of the fish are specially pigmented areas with a number of photospheres. These organs create a glowing light that allows the Viperfish to see well in the dark. (We'll cover photospheres and bioluminescence in the next paragraph.) The Viperfish is a good-sized fish, reaching almost a foot at maturity.
As I mentioned earlier, Viperfish find their way around in the dark by the photospheres located on their lateral lines on either side of their body. This is how bioluminescence works: a chemical called luciferase "ignites" a chain reaction in the body of the fish. Luciferin is released by oxidation. This produces light and oxyluciferin, which is inactive. The fish "glows" a bright green. For the Viperfish to "glow" again, it either has to eat something that has luciferin in it or create it in its own body. Many animals in the mesopelagic zone carry Luciferin in their bodies, so it's not too hard for the Viperfish to get it from them when they become dinner. Viperfish swim toward the ocean's surface at night to eat. They will swim into shallower water, around 1970 feet from a depth of about 3,300 feet. In shallower water fish are more plentiful, and deep-sea animals need the protein that these shallower water fish provide.
Not much is known about the mating behavior of the Viperfish. It is commonly thought that Viperfish mate like eels do- by external fertilization. The eggs and sperm are released into the water and fertilization occurs. There is no body contact. Many deep-sea animals reproduce in this way. As far as I know, there have been no reports of baby Viperfish discovered anywhere.
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