Lanternfishes: Myctophiformes - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Skinnycheek Lanternfish (benthosema Pterotum): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, LANTERNFISHES AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS
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Lanternfishes live all over the world except the Arctic Ocean.
As adults most lanternfishes live in the middle depths of the open ocean, usually between 660 and 3,330 feet (200 and 1,000 meters). Some may enter the upper part of the deep-water region. Several lanternfishes are thought to live near, but not in contact with, the bottom at some point in life. Larval or young lanternfishes live near the surface, mainly between about 160 and 800 feet (50 to 250 meters).
Scientists do not know much about the feeding habits of lanternfishes. Some eat crustacean (krus-TAY-shun) plankton. Crustaceans are water-dwelling animals that have jointed legs and a hard shell but no backbone. Plankton are microscopic plants and, in this case, animals drifting in water.
Lanternfishes are processed to form fish meal, which is used as poultry feed and as crop fertilizer. Like sardines and anchovies, lanternfishes can be bought packed in oil. Lanternfishes are very important to the ocean environment. Damage to or loss of lanternfish populations would be harmful to many other animals in the food web of the open ocean.
Lanternfishes are not threatened or endangered.
Additional Topics
Lanternfishes have many light-producing organs covering their bodies. These organs are arranged in patterns that vary according to species. In addition to light-producing organs, many lanternfishes have glowing scales and glands. Lanternfishes are small, about 3 inches (8 centimeters) long. The most common lanternfishes look like anchovies and sometimes are called glowing anchovies. The jaws of la…
Little is known about the behavior of lanternfishes. They move from middle depths into very shallow surface waters at night to feed and to lay their eggs. These surface waters, usually above 330 feet (100 meters), are rich in food. The trips up and down take about two hours each, depending on conditions such as solar eclipses, the degree of moon fullness, the clearness of the night sky, and the pr…
Physical characteristics: Skinnycheek lanternfish have a large head and very large eyes. They are among the smaller lanternfishes, reaching a maximum length of about 2 inches (5 centimeters). These fish are mirrorlike silver on the sides and belly and blue-black on the back. Geographic range: Skinnycheek lanternfish live in the northern Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Pacific Ocean near Jap…
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