rattail fish

When MBARI researchers explore the seafloor below 1,000 meters, the most common fishes they see are rattail fish such as this Coryphaenoides acrolepis, which was photographed in Monterey Canyon. Rattails are are very curious and will come to investigate any disturbance on or around the seafloor. Presumably this helps them find food in the darkness of the deep sea. Rattail fish are caught and sold under the more palatable name, "grenadier." However, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program recommends that consumers do not purchase or eat grenadierbecause the fish grow very slowly and may not reproduce until they are 30 or 40 years old.