Penn News

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, scientists just caught a fish with an alarming resemblance to the monster from ‘Alien’.

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Thankfully, it doesn’t actually lay eggs inside John Hurt – but it can stick its whole jaw out of its mouth, just like the creature from the films.

The ‘viper shark’ – which has only rarely been sighted – can swallow other, large fish whole by sticking its jaw out.


Taiwan’s Fisheries Research Institute picked up five of the creatures near Donghe Township, saying, ‘The most obvious feature are the needle-shaped teeth, like snake-like fangs; this is also the origin of viper shark name.’

Penn News

Penn News

Because they are so seldom seen, little is known about viper sharks, but they’re believed to migrate from 300m-400m deep during the day to 150m deep at night.



The species was first discovered in 1986 off the coast of Shikoku Island, Japan.