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Close-up of a Japanese armorhead fish with spiny dorsal fin against dark water

Japanese armorhead

Pentaceros japonicus

On view
Into the Deep
Animal type
Fishes
Ecosystem
Deep sea
Relatives
Armorheads; Family: Pentacerotidae
Diet
Crustaceans, cephalopods, and small fishes
Range
From 330 to 2,700 feet (100 to 830 m) in the western Pacific Ocean
Size
Up to 9.8 inches (25 cm)

Meet the Japanese armorhead

This fish is shielded from head to tail. Hard scales cover their body and an exposed bone protects their head from hungry hunters.

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