Bathysaurus ferox Günther, 1878
Deep-sea lizardfish
photo by Garazo Fabregat, A.

Family:  Bathysauridae (Deepsea lizardfishes)
Max. size:  64 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 600 - 3500 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: northern British Isles to Guinea; also off South Africa. Reported from Iceland (Ref. 12462). Western Atlantic: Davis Strait to Rio Grande Rise, Brazil. Southwest Pacific: New Zealand and Australia (Ref. 7300). Southeast Pacific: Nazca and Sala-y-Gomez (Ref. 50546). Macristium chavesi (pelagic larvae) known from Dominican Republic, Bay of Biscay, Azores, and in the Indian Ocean.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-17; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 11-13. Body deepest ahead of dorsal fin. Head depressed and bony, mouth large, teeth conical, recurved and mostly depressible (Ref. 39983). Preserved specimens, dark ventrally (Ref. 11228).
Biology:  Usually occurs below the 4°C isotherm. Rests stationary on the bottom with head slightly elevated in typical lizardfish fashion. Feeds primarily on fish and decapods (Ref. 4964). Synchronously hermaphroditic. Minimum depth reported from Ref. 5755.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 July 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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