Three Animal Families in One
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Three Animal Families in One
Today’s special animal friend is the viper dogfish, Trigonognathus kabeyai, also known as the viper shark. Discovered in 1986, it is the only member of the Trigonognathus genus, and I propose that pronouncing scientific names should be a drinking game. It is a slender, black fish, about 20” long; females are larger than males. They have narrow, triangular jaws, and “well-spaced, fang-like teeth,” that is, thin, pointy teeth with large spaces in between them.
Viper dogfish are found in the Pacific Ocean around Japan, Taiwan, and the Hawaiian Islands. They migrate vertically in the water, but exactly how is not clear. Some sources say they live in deep water (up to 1,300 feet) at night and shallower water (300-500 feet) in the daytime, while others say the opposite. Articles say they are “very rare,” but that seems to mean simply that they are rarely seen, which is not the same thing. IUCN has not evaluated them because of insufficient information.
They eat bony fish, especially lanternfish, that can be up to half their own size – so ten inches-ish – which they catch by extending their jaws out from their mouths and clamping the fish in the needle-like teeth. They can push their jaws out further and open them wider than other dogfish with this feature because they use their hyomandibular bone instead of a suborbital muscle, which they don’t have. Studies of the stomach contents of some specimens found that the fish were ingested whole. They also eat some crustaceans.
They have small, thin fins. Their pectoral fins are rounded, while their two dorsal fins include spines. They have v-shaped scales, pointy-end forward, which allows them to move smoothly through the water. Their underside is covered with light-emitting photophores. It is assumed that these attract prey fish in the otherwise lightless ocean depths.
They are ovoviviparous, like some reptiles: the “pups” hatch internally from eggs and are delivered live. Gestation is 1-1/2 to 2 years. A litter is believed to be around 20.
Known predators of the viper dogfish include bigeye tuna and the “legendary” sickle pomfret, Taractichthys steindachneri, *drink*. The sickle pomfret is a fleshy fish that can be about 2 feet long and weigh up to 20 lbs.
Good morning. Nice weathers here today. I'm having breakfast. Then I'll call the Youth from their deathbeds. Then I'll take a shower. Then I'll go to the podiatrist. Then I'll go the library, which is near the podiatrist . Then I'll come home and probably find the Youth in bed again.
I spent the day up in a remote valley/ravine/gorge/chasm in the Wuling Mountains at a tea garden. Some young man left the village for the big city 30 years ago, made a bunch of money, came back to his home village, and is turning it into a sort of Napa Valley winery tasting resort only instead of grapes and wine, he's growing special teas. He dismantled a historic Qing Dynasty era house in Jianxi, transported it to Hubei, rebuilt it, and is now the benefactor of an entirely invigorated economy in this part of Hubei. I could write a long essay on how cool this place is, but I'll keep it short....it's heart melting nice.
Several of his clan now have new gigantic houses, 4 story monstrosities with about 1000 sf per floor. Why so big? Each floor is for one generation of the family. Grandparents, parents, kids, and toddlers. 4 generations all under one roof with a floor for each, instead of 4 generations in a 2 room hovel like they used to have. The houses would not impress Americans, but I was impressed that there's 4 generations all under one roof.
The whole village is a bunch of houses all mashed together kinda like Whoville in Horton Hears A Who with little winding stone stairs and paths and passageways with any open space planted with food, no lawns. Then there's the big gardens in the large open areas interspersed with tea hedges and fruit trees. It's a like a 70's hippy heaven, all tucked into this valley with mountains going straight up all around. The road in and out of the village follows the small river that winds through the valley.
I wish I could put up pics. Marque...you sound like kind of a back to the lander...you'd dig it.