‘Large’-mouthed sea creature with toothy tongue found in Malaysia for first time
Off the coast of Malaysia, trawlers hauled in their nets and sorted through the catch. A silvery sea creature with a “very large” mouth caught their attention — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a first-of-its-kind record.
A team of scientists visited the coastal town of Tanjung Sedili in September 2024 as part of a marine biodiversity survey, according to a study published Aug. 28 in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.
During the survey, researchers noticed a skinny fish and identified it as a dorozome lizardfish, the first record of the species from Malaysia.
A photo shows the dorozome lizardfish. The roughly 5-inch-long fish has a “very large” mouth with “numerous, small, canine-like” teeth and a few rows of teeth on its “short,” “fleshy” tongue,” researchers said. Its eyes are “yellowish-brown,” and its fins are see-through with white rays.
Dorozome lizardfish, scientifically known as Saurida fortis, were discovered as a new species in 2022 and, so far, primarily found near Japan and Taiwan, the study said. The new record from Malaysia is also “the southernmost record, extending the (species’) distribution to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.”
Tanjung Sedili is a town in Johor State and on the southeastern tip of mainland Malaysia.
The research team included Ryusei Furuhashi, Ying Giat Seah and Hiroyuki Motomura.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 9:08 AM with the headline "‘Large’-mouthed sea creature with toothy tongue found in Malaysia for first time."
