Facts: The Velvet Whalefish
Quick facts about this long worm that can inject venom into prey! The purple ribbon worm (Paranemertes peregrina, purple-backed ribbon worm). Purple ribbon worm facts!
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The velvet whalefish is a rare deep sea fish species. The fish are found throughout the
world's oceans in tropical and temperate latitudes. Their population is assumed to be small,
with the greatest abundance in the western Pacific off Japan and New Zealand. They are found at
varying depths, down to 6600 ft deep, depending on their life stages. Larvae occur in the upper
660 ft of the ocean. Adults inhabit the deep sea where the environment is cold and dark.
Older individuals are typically found near the seafloor, greater than 3300 ft deep. They grow
to a maximum length of 15 in, but they are more commonly found around 12 in long. Each fish has
small eyes, a large, slightly compressed head, and a large mouth with tiny teeth.
Four free gill arches are present. The skin is tough and the body is covered with tiny,
embedded scales. Each scale has a small, single, central spine. This makes the skin feel slightly
prickly. The lateral line, which is used to detect movement and pressure changes in the surrounding
seawater, consists of small, round pores. Since only individual specimens have been collected,
the velvet whalefish is thought to live a solitary lifestyle. Their feeding habits are unknown,
but they are thought to feed on crustaceans by ambushing prey.
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