Unicorn Whiptail

Interesting Info

• The Unicorn Whiptail is a deep-sea rattail fish found off southern Australia, New Zealand, and across parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
• It gets its name from its long, pointed snout that looks a little like a unicorn’s horn.
• Its body is elongated and ends in a whip-like tail, a trademark of rattails (grenadiers).
• Colouration is generally grey-brown to silvery, helping it disappear in the deep-sea gloom.
• The Unicorn Whiptail uses its elongated snout to probe sediment, rooting out small crustaceans, worms, and other invertebrates hidden in the mud.
• It may also scavenge, feeding on bits of carrion that drift down from the upper ocean.
• Its large eyes are adapted to detect faint traces of light, a survival advantage in the twilight depths.
• Like other grenadiers, it has a sensitive lateral line system that picks up vibrations from nearby prey or predators.
• The species is slow-growing and probably long-lived, with relatives in the rattail family known to live more than 20 years.
• Predators may include deep-sea sharks, larger grenadiers, and big benthic fishes such as toothfish.
• The Unicorn Whiptail is rarely studied, and most of what scientists know comes from deep-sea trawl surveys.
• It is sometimes called the Long-snout Whiptail, highlighting its distinctive “unicorn” feature.