Lancetfish

Lancetfish are large, deep-sea predatory fishes in the genus Alepisaurus, distinguished by an elongated body, prominent blade-like dorsal fin, and large teeth.

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Alepisaurus: A genus of marine predatory fishes that includes the two recognized species of lancetfish. Lancetfish belong to this genus, whose name anchors their scientific classification.
Predation: An interaction in which one organism captures and consumes another. Lancetfish obtain food by capturing other animals, including fishes and invertebrates.
Marine food web: The network of feeding relationships among organisms in a marine ecosystem. Lancetfish connect smaller prey with larger predators as midwater consumers.
Oarfish: Long, ribbon-shaped marine fishes in the family Regalecidae. Both have strikingly elongated bodies, but oarfish belong to a different fish lineage.
Alepisaurus ferox: The long-snouted lancetfish, a species of Alepisaurus found in tropical and temperate oceans. This is one of the two species grouped under the common name lancetfish.
Ambush predator: A predator that waits for prey to approach before making a rapid attack. Lancetfish's large mouth and teeth suit sudden strikes at prey in the water column.
Bycatch: Animals unintentionally caught while fishing for other species. Lancetfish are sometimes taken incidentally in commercial fisheries.
Barracudina: A group of slender predatory marine fishes in the family Paralepididae. Barracudinas share an open-water predatory lifestyle but are smaller and taxonomically distinct.
Alepisaurus brevirostris: The short-snouted lancetfish, a species of Alepisaurus distinguished by its shorter snout. It is the other recognized species in the genus.
Diel vertical migration: The daily movement of aquatic organisms between deeper water by day and shallower water at night. Lancetfish can track prey whose depth changes with the day-night cycle.