This Deep Sea Lizard Fish Will Haunt Your Dreams

The deep ocean is home to beautiful purple orbs, glowing UFO jellyfish, googly-eyed squid and vicious predatory creatures that just want to devour them all.

Case in point, the deep-sea lizard fish (Bathysaurus ferox); a bottom-dwelling apex predator with countless razor sharp teeth and dull green eyes that hunts at depths between 3,000 feet to over 8,500 feet. This particular specimen was discovered during a month-long expedition by Australia’s Museums Victoria and CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) to explore Australia's 2.5-mile-deep eastern abyss.

"This terrifying terror of the deep is largely made up of a mouth and hinged teeth, so once it has you in its jaws there is no escape: the more you struggle the further into its mouth you go," shared onboard communicator Asher Flatt.

Because lizard fish eat everything they come across, including other lizard fish, nature has given the species a shortcut when it comes to reproduction.

"They have both male and female reproductive organs, so whatever other Bathysaurus ferox they come across will be Mr right and Miss right," added Flatt. "How could you not love a face like that!"

As you can see in the brief video below, taken by an ROV during a 2013 deep sea expedition, lizard fish lie extremely still and wait to ambush creatures that wander too close. Despite a lack of sunlight at these depths, their eyes aid in detecting the bioluminescent light of potential prey.

In addition to the lizard fish, the expedition's finds have also included a heavily armored rock crab, a coffinfish, and an extremely rare "faceless fish."

You can follow along with the expedition's discoveries through June 16th on their official site here.