Family Myctophidae

Common names:  Lanternfishes

Distribution:  Worldwide in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones.  Many species vertically migrate each night towards the surface waters to feed.  Some come all the way to the surface and can be attracted to bright lights and dipnetted there.

General description and features:  Typically small (<6 inches) silvery or black fishes with photophores arranged in groups along their sides and bellies.  

Feeding:  Most species feed on small zooplankton but feeding in this group can be diverse.  Ceratoscopelus warmingii a species from the tropical North Pacific has even been shown to eat phytoplankton!

Reproduction and life history:  There are over 230 species of lanternfishes in 32 genera.  They are some of the most common fish in the world.  These fishes produce pelagic eggs and larvae which drift near the surface for some time.  It has been shown that many tropical species live only a year however species from temperate zones may live for as many as 8 years.

Stenobrachius leucopsaurus captured in Monterey Bay (Photo by J. C. Drazen).

Diaphus theta, the California headlightfish (Photo by J. C. Drazen).  The specimen here is preserved hence the poor shape but you can see the translucent tissue between the eyes that is the headlight photophores.  The reasons for having large foward directed photophores in unclear but they may be used for communication or to spotlight/stun prey.