The deep-sea dragonfish is a bioluminescent ocean fish - can you eat it?

The deep-sea dragonfish is a bioluminescent ocean fish that lives at a depth of 1524 meters on the sea floor. It is not large in size, yet it is a ferocious predator that feeds on crustaceans and copepods. So, can the deep-sea dragonfish be eaten?

1. What kind of fish is the deep-sea dragonfish?

1. The deep-sea dragonfish is also called the scaleless dragonfish or black dragonfish, and belongs to the order Stomiiformes. It lives in the mesopelagic or bathypelagic zone of the ocean, at depths of 100-1050 meters (1524 meters), and has a body length of about 4-6 inches (10.2-15.2 cm). It has a large head, many long and sharp fangs, a luminous lure on its lower jaw, and two rows of light organs along the sides of its body.

2. The deep-sea dragonfish is a bioluminescent ocean fish. Its lower jaw has a luminous lure that keeps flashing and swinging back and forth to entice prey, and once the prey is close it seizes it in one bite with its sharp fangs and teeth. It also has two rows of light organs along the sides of its body, which can signal other dragonfish during mating and can mimic the shimmering light coming down from the sea surface, thereby misleading predatory fish coming from the depths below.

3. The deep-sea dragonfish is a ferocious fish that feeds on crustaceans and copepods. Some crustaceans and copepods that live specifically on phytoplankton dive hundreds of meters deep during the day to escape surface predators, and only migrate back to the surface to feed at night when it is safer, returning to deeper waters before dawn. To prey on them, the deep-sea dragonfish also makes daily vertical migrations.

4. The most suitable food for the deep-sea dragonfish is small fish and small shrimp, and it usually jumps 1.5 meters out of the water to catch food. The deep-sea dragonfish, which feeds on crustaceans and copepods, makes daily vertical migrations in the ocean following the movement of its food, which helps increase the exchange of matter between the ocean surface and the deep layers.

2. Can the deep-sea dragonfish be eaten?

1. The deep-sea dragonfish can be eaten, and it can be made steamed. The flesh is tender, and the fish juices go well with rice. The simple method is to slice it and arrange it on a plate, steam it over high heat for two or three minutes (until steam comes out), take the fish out and rinse it clean with water, put it back on a plate, add seasonings and steam until cooked through, drizzle on a little soy sauce and aged wine, and finally heat oil in a pan and pour it over the fish.

2. Although the deep-sea dragonfish can be eaten, its price is very high. As everyone knows, this fish lives at a depth of 1524 meters on the sea floor, staying in deep water during the day and only swimming up to the surface at night to feed. Therefore, catching it is very difficult, and because it is hard to catch, the price is high, so it is not easy for people to eat it.

Summary: The deep-sea dragonfish is a deep-sea fish that lives in the mesopelagic or bathypelagic zone of the ocean, at a depth of 1524 meters. It is a bioluminescent ocean fish, with not only a luminous lure on its lower jaw but also two rows of light organs along the sides of its body. It is also a ferocious fish, with long and sharp fangs, and it seizes prey in one bite with its sharp fangs and teeth. The deep-sea dragonfish can be eaten and can be made steamed, but its price is very high, and because it is hard to catch, it generally cannot be eaten.