Image 8-12
Bathysaurus Fish

This image of a strange-looking fish was captured by NOAA photographers during the OKEANOS Explorer Program. This species is known as a bathysaurus fish. It is sometimes known as a deep sea lizardfish because of its resemblance to a lizard. However, it is not actually related to other true lizardfishes. This fish has an enlarged lower jaw that it uses to scoop up the sand as it looks for scraps of food. Like many deep sea fish, it is a scavenger and feeds on debris and dead animals that fall to the ocean floor. This species is found at depths of up to 11,400 feet (3,500 meters).