Named for its long, tapering tail that resembles a soldier's grenade. It is a fish that looks like it was designed for the deep. The body is elongated. It has a large head and a long, tapering tail. The eyes are large. They are adapted to low light. The mouth is large, with fine teeth. The colour is a uniform brown or grey. The scales are small and rough. A fish that blends into the dark. Its large head and eyes are adapted for life in the dark waters of the deep sea. This slow-growing fish can live for four decades on the continental slope. Several different grenadier species live in New Zealand waters. Each occupies slightly different depths and habitats. It is a family of deep-sea specialists. Each has its own patch of dark water. It is a deep-sea predator. It hovers near the seafloor. It uses its long tail for balance. This helps it hold its position in the current. It feeds on small crustaceans, fish, and squid. It sucks them into its large mouth. A fish that waits for dinner to drift past. It grows slowly. It takes many years to reach maturity. It can live for four decades. This is a long life for a fish of its size. This slow pace of life makes it vulnerable to overfishing. A fish that takes decades to grow and seconds to die. Not targeted by commercial fisheries, it is caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawls. The nets drag across the seafloor. They scoop up everything in their path. The grenadiers are brought to the surface. The sudden change in pressure often kills them. A fish that dies without being wanted. To see one is rare. They live in the deep. They inhabit the cold, dark waters of the continental slope. They are the long-tailed fish of the deep. They hover in the current, waiting for prey. The net drags. The grenadier comes up, long tail trailing, eyes wide. It is thrown back, if it is lucky. Most are not. It does not know why. It was just hovering in the dark.