Spongy Rat Tail

Interesting Info

• The Spongy Rat Tail is a deep-sea grenadier that lives off Australia’s coasts—especially off parts of Western Australia amd South Australia, mostly along continental slopes.
• Despite its name, it doesn’t eat rats, the “rat tail” refers to its long, tapering tail, which gives it a whiptail-like silhouette.
• It lives in the bathypelagic zone, typically between 600–2,000 m (2,000–6,600 ft) deep, where sunlight never reaches.
• Its head has a soft, sponge-like texture—hence “spongiceps”—which might help it sense pressure or movement in the dark depths.
• This fish has giant eyes that capture whatever little light might exist, helping it detect prey in the darkness.
• Its body is glazed grey-brown, a perfect match for muddy slopes where it prowls the bottom for food.
• It eats small creatures like crustaceans, worms, and other invertebrates—and even any drifting bits of dead animals that fall from above.
• Its sensitive lateral line helps detect faint vibrations, letting it hunt in the pitch-black benthic world.
• Scientists think it likely releases its eggs into the water column, where larvae drift in dark deep-sea currents before growing up.
• Its lifespan isn’t known for sure, but many deep-sea rattails grow slowly and may live for 20 years or more.
• Researchers only ever meet it via deep-sea trawls or scientific surveys—no diver has ever seen it in person.
• “Spongy Rat Tail” reminds us how unusual and mysterious life can be in the deepest parts of the ocean.