Mediterranean grenadier

The Mediterranean grenadier (Coryphaenoides mediterraneus) is a species of deep-sea fish in the family Macrouridae.

Description
The Mediterranean grenadier has a measurement of up to 73 cm. The head is scaled except for its gular and branchiostegal membranes; it has a blunt snout. Its brain shows increased volume in the octavolateral area (premotor organization of body movements) and gustatory area (taste); this is unsurprising as it lives in near-total darkness and is dependent on chemosensory inputs to find prey.

Habitat
The Mediterranean grenadier lives in the North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Gulf of Mexico; it is bathydemersal, living at depths of 1000 - 4262 m.

Behaviour
The Mediterranean grenadier feeds on small benthic invertebrates. They exhibit a cycle of daily activity, because the solar cycle influences the movement of pelagic prey who move vertically during the day. They are parasitised by many species of cestode worms.