# Hatchetfish (*Argyropelecus*) Hatchetfish are unique fish with shiny, silvery bodies that look like tiny hatchets. They live in the dark depths of the ocean and have special glowing spots to light their way. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Deep Sea - **Also known as:** Sternoptychidae ![Hatchetfish](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424558/objects/6151.jpg) ## Appearance The Hatchetfish has a strikingly deep, silvery, and highly compressed body, giving it a unique axe-head shape. It features large, tubular, upward-facing eyes and a belly lined with numerous light-emitting organs called photophores. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Stomiiformes - **Family:** Sternoptychidae - **Genus:** Argyropelecus ## Interesting facts - Imagine living hundreds of meters deep where it's always dark! - Some hatchetfish have eyes like binoculars to see tiny snacks. - They are so delicate, many deep-sea cameras scare them away! - They spend their days in the deep and swim up at night to hunt. ## Special abilities - **Light Cloak:** Hatchetfish can produce light from their belly photophores that helps them disappear against the faint sunlight from above. - **Sky Spy Eyes:** Hatchetfish has large, tubular, upward-pointing eyes that help them spot faint silhouettes of prey against the surface light. - **Axe Body Maneuver:** Hatchetfish has a uniquely thin, deep body that helps them quickly dart through water to escape predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 2-12 cm - **Weight:** 0.001-0.02 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-5 years - **Swim Speed:** 5 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 1000 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding Hatchetfish are hunters of the deep, feeding on tiny drifting ocean creatures. - **Primary Foods:** Copepods, Ostracods, Euphausiids, Amphipods - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Viperfish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/viperfish) (*Chauliodus sloani*) — A fierce deep-sea hunter that preys on smaller fish. - **Eats:** [Swordfish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/swordfish) (*Xiphias gladius*) — Large ocean predators that consume hatchetfish during migrations. - **Eaten by:** Copepod (*Calanus finmarchicus*) — Tiny crustaceans that hatchetfish snatch from the water. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Deep Sea](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deep-sea): Deep sea habitats are characterized by extreme pressure, darkness, and cold temperatures, supporting unique life forms below the sunlit zone. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Glowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/glowing): Pertaining to organisms that emit light through bioluminescence or fluorescence. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Hatchetfish are not dangerous to humans but should be admired from a distance to protect their habitat. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hatchetfish? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Hatchetfish? 2-12 cm ### How much does Hatchetfish weigh? 0.001-0.02 kg ### How long does Hatchetfish live? 2-5 years ### What does Hatchetfish eat? Hatchetfish are hunters of the deep, feeding on tiny drifting ocean creatures. ### How fast can Hatchetfish swim? 5 km/h ### Where is Hatchetfish usually found? Deep Sea ### How does Hatchetfish hunt? Foraging ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Hatchetfish: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hatchetfish)