This Fish Is the Kobayashi of the Sea

In July, marine biologists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's ship Falkor conducted an extensive deep-sea survey around Trinidad and Tobago, uncovering 20 possible new species. Among the observations was a black swallower fish, a creature renowned for its extraordinary feeding habits. This tiny fish, measuring between 4 to 8 inches, often consumes prey up to ten times its own size.

Utilizing an ROV, the researchers witnessed this black swallower gulping down a meal many times its length and mass. Its ability to swallow such large prey results from the fish's jaw dislocating and stomach distending, akin to a snake swallowing a rabbit. Unfortunately, the stomach's contents cannot be determined as the fish wasn't physically captured.

While many past sightings involved dead black swallowers, this instance is unique as it captured the fish in the act of consuming. The behavior of this predator bears comparison to a hot-dog eating contest, with the fish's distended belly making its skin transparent, revealing its internal organs.