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The ghoulish grimace of the viperfish

October 31, 2019

I thrive in the shadows—a creature of the ocean twilight zone. With glowing photophores, I produce my own light in the darkness, using them as bioluminescent treats to trick unwitting prey. Once I’ve lured them in, my jaws unhinge. With a gaping maw of needle-like teeth so long I cannot fully close my mouth, I impale my victims—some of them nearly as big as I am. My name is Chauliodus sloani, the viper fish.