| Cannibalistic lancetfish found on California beach | |
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A somewhat mysterious fish known for eating its own species recently washed up on a California shore.
On Friday, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography tweeted about a 4-foot lancetfish that was found on San Diego’s La Jolla Shores last week.
Lancetfish live between the ocean’s surface and about 6,000 feet deep, according to the tweet.
Lancetfish, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are "notorious cannibals" that also eat other fish and invertebrates. |
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Lancetfish are also hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female sex organs at the same time, according to NOAA.
Lancetfish appear to only start eating their own species when they reach about 3 feet long, according to NBC San Diego. |
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