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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about vampire fish. Don’t be afraid to subscribe, these fish can’t bite through the screen! Like the fantastic creatures they’ve been named after, vampire fish are a bit mysterious. Little research has gone into the study of vampire fish, but we’ll give the rundown of what we were able to dig up.

Vampire fish get their name from their fearsome smile. Sometimes they’re called dogtooth fish, but because there are tunas with the same name, we’ll stick with vampire fish. There are somewhere around ten living species of vampire fish. They live in rivers, lakes, streams, and floodplains of South America with their greatest concentrations occurring in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Young vampire fish are typically associated with water edges and floodplains. Here they’ll remain hidden among aquatic vegetation as they develop their skills as predators. Adults spend most of their time in the middle of waterways preferring fast moving, crystal clear water. They’ll also take advantage of rest areas behind large rocks and downed trees in flowing systems. It’s believed that vampire fish prefer clear water because they depend on vision in order to find and catch prey. It’s almost impossible not to notice the imposing teeth of vampire fish. The lower canines on vampire fish are so long, reaching at least an inch (2.54 centimeters) in length, that a vampire fish’s upper jaw has holes in it specifically designed for the long lower teeth to slide into when the mouth is closed. Y’know, because they don’t want to stab their brains. Vampire fish use these long teeth to impale prey which usually comes in the form of other fish, including piranhas. All this time humans have focused movie efforts on fish that are eaten by something even more fierce!

Vampire fish actually prefer to eat larger fish and will take fish as long as 50% of their body length. Vampire fish themselves range from seven and a half inches (19 centimeters) to more than two feet (60 centimeters) depending on the species, which means their prey can be more than a foot (30.5 centimeters) long! To hunt, a vampire fish will get below a prey item and dart through the water towards the surface, spearing the prey as it goes. Vampire fish prey is typically consumed whole and head first.

Vampire fish may live in small groups, and they migrate to floodplains in order to breed. Breeding occurs when the rainy season is at its height and is most common between the months of October and March. Vampire fish are likely broadcast spawners and they aren’t known to take care of their young. In captivity they’re notorious for having short lifespans that may be as fleeting as two years or less. In the wild, young vampire fish will remain in the safety of floodplains and slowly make their way to large waters as they get older. Larger vampire fish species may need to reach at least a third of their maximum length before they’re ready to reproduce, but these fish have been described by aquarium enthusiasts as rapid growers. Because they’re so fearsome, they’re often a desired aquarium species, but they can be quite challenging to raise in captivity due to their demands of fast moving, pristine water. They’re also considered a prized sport fish for anglers. Vampire fish aren’t typically eaten by humans, but the aggressive fight they put up has drawn the attention of those who fish for sport. Vampire fish populations are currently unknown, though the construction of dams in the areas they inhabit could pose a threat to their breeding such as what’s happened with the paddlefish we talked about a few weeks ago. As it stands, though, Adult vampire fish likely top or nearly top the food chain, and with a smile like that as their proof, we’re not gonna contest it!

For more facts on vampire fish, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.