Stomiidae

Stomiidae is a family of deep-sea ray-finned fish, including the barbeled dragonfishes, that live in all oceans in a wide range of depths. They are quite small, usually around 15 cm, up to 26 cm, and they exhibit a strong sexual dimorphism. These fish are apex predators and have enormous jaws filled with fang-like teeth. They are also able to hinge the neurocranium and upper-jaw system, which leads to the opening of the jaw to more than 100 degrees. This ability allows them to consume extremely large prey, often 50% greater than their standard length.