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# The Deep Sea Viperfish

### By: Luke, Nick and Jake

##### Report For 6th Grade Reading Class
(Mr. Whitman)

### Most of us are familiar with many of the fish and other creatures that inhabit the sun light waters of the worlds oceans. The sun however only lights a small fraction of these waters. What do we know about the creatures that live in the darkness of the sea? Our group has chosen to research the Deep Sea Viperfish in order to learn more about it and the waters in which it lives.

### The Deep Sea Viperfish is an animal that lives in the oceans down 260 to 5200 feet. The Viperfish has a blue and silver body. It makes it’s own light with a process called bioluminescence. The sides of the body are covered with hexagonal pigmented areas, each with one or more small photospheres (the light producing organs). The Viperfish can average 12 in, but can grow up to two feet.

### During the night the Viperfish come up to the surface, but in the day they go down to the bottom of the ocean at about 2,500m. During the night they come up to the surface because there is more to eat. A specimen is collected at a deep of 275m in the Western Solomon Sea near Papua New Guinea.

### The Viperfish has 350 tiny light organs in its mouth and fins which are believed to attract pray. It has needle sharp teeth to stab other fish. It also has moveable teeth inside its throat to pull fish into its stomach. The Viperfish also uses its fishing line like string on top of its head to lure fish. The Viperfish has a stomach that can stretch to swallow pray larger than itself. They are one of the fiercest predators of the deep.
Viperfish have four red glowing spots that only other Viperfish can see. It got Its name from its snake-like body and needle sharp fangs.

### As you can see, the Viperfish is quite a fascinating creature. Its unique features made us appreciate it and all of the other creatures that live blow the sun lit waters of the world. It seems that the more we know and learn about The Deep Sea Viperfish the more questions we have concerning it and the other creatures of the deep. Mans interests and research of these creatures has just begun.

The Deep Sea Viperfish

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