LANCET FISH

either of two species of widely distributed, deepwater marine fish of the genus Alepisaurus (the family Alepisauridae). Lancet fish are elongated and slender, with a long, very tall dorsal fin and a large mouth that is equipped with formidable fanglike teeth. The fish grow to a large size, attaining a maximum length of about 1.8 m (6 feet). Voracious and carnivorous, they feed on a variety of fish and invertebrates. The longnose lancet fish (A. ferox) is found in the Atlantic Ocean; the Pacific lancet fish (A. richardsoni or A. borealis), in the Pacific.