By Mindy Weisberger, Senior
Writer | February 2, 2017 06:37am ET
Barbeled dragonfish — predatory
fish with long, dark bodies that inhabit the deep sea — are unnerving to look
at. Their name refers to glowing barbell-shaped lures that dangle from their
oversize lower jaws and attract unsuspecting prey in the cold, dark ocean
depths. Those jaws, studded with prominent, sharp teeth, can swing wide enough
to gulp down large fish whole — even prey larger than the swallower.
And a new study has discovered
one of the secrets to their exceptional gape — a specialized head joint that is
unique to dragonfish.
This flexible structure connects
the back of the fish's skull to the first vertebra in the backbone, the study
authors found. By increasing head maneuverability, this feature could allow a
dragonfish to tilt its head farther back as its lower jaw drops, enabling it to
open its mouth as wide as 120 degrees.
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