Zesticelus bathybius is a deep-sea fish from the Zoarcidae family. It lives on the ocean floor at depths from four to eight kilometers where the pressure is very high and there is no light.
Zesticelus bathybius differs from related fish by its ability to live under enormous pressure and in complete darkness. This species is important for understanding how life exists in the most difficult conditions on the planet.
Collects prey from the bottom surface or swallows small animals whole.
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
Pelagic Ocean
bottom
Taxons
carnivore
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
swimming
no permanent shelter
Close
detritus, eat dead remains of plants, animals and all kinds of organic debris on the bottom
was
days
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
Marine world
marine pelagic
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
surface
adult
Maturity
organic debris
primary food sources
polychaetes
Fins count
Potential Habitat
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
ocean floor
Repro interval
results
Mass
annelid polychaetes of marine habitats
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Body size
aquatic
Colors
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
No results found
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
Filters
Eyes color
On the map
small crustaceans
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
Upcoming birthdays
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
birth year
Maturity
Fins size
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
Foraging occurs on the floor of aquatic or terrestrial habitats.
Wanderers
Food items are collected from exposed outer surfaces of substrates.
How similar?
far from shore, deep water, large whales and sharks live here
Egg size
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
water is almost always cold, there may be ice in winter, not hot in summer
Where do they live?
Rapidly swallows prey or food items whole without chewing.
Marine world
Regeneration
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Fins color
Cold sea
gulping
saline marine habitat
Egg count
This is me
Gamers
65 to 130 grams, 25 – 60 centimeters
Pets
How are they built?
marine
Primary oral structure used to seize, manipulate, or ingest food.
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
whole swallow
{name} jubilee
Eyes size
Asexual
swap
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
mouth
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
celebrated their {n} birthday
Collects prey from the bottom surface or swallows small animals whole.
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
Daddies
small crabs, amphipods and other crustaceans
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Egg color
pelagic zone — open water far from shore and seabed
Where are they found?
all seas and oceans
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
Carrot
Length
kg
Observations
◉{N} more on tap