The deepwater grenadier is very large for its genus, measuring up to 129 cm (4.23 ft) and 14 kg (31 lb).[8] Olfaction and taste are important senses for finding prey, which is unsurprising as it lives in the near-total darkness of the deep sea.[9][8] It has a swim bladder, showing that it is a mobile forager.[10]
Habitat
The deepwater grenadier lives in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Bay of Biscay and Canary Islands, and in the Great Australian Bight;[11][12] it lives at depths of up to 4,872 m (15,984 ft).[13] The specific name is from Latin profundus ("deep") and the suffix -colus ("inhabitant"); -colus, -colum is not considered to be correct Latin but is still used in several species names.[14]Otolith studies have shown that the deepwater grenadier lives at a variety of temperatures during its life.[15][16]
Behaviour
It is parasitised by Lepidapedon zubchenkoi and Steringophorus thulini, both trematode worms of the order Plagiorchiida.[17]
