16 February 2009

A global stomach

Chiasmodon niger, or the black swallower -- a deep-sea fish that can extend its stomach to three times its size to swallow fish that are larger than itself -- is one of hundreds "bipolar" species spanning between the polar regions.

A BBC report has more detail. One possible explanation may be that:
the deep ocean at the poles falls as low as -1C (30F), but the deep ocean at the equator might not get above 4C (39F).

There is continuity in the ocean as a result of the major current systems...; a lot of these animals have egg and larvae stages that can get transferred in this water.

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