What is so unique about the Malacosteid family?

One special family of deep-sea fishes carries around its own “night vision” ability. This page explains how and why it uses this amazing adaptation. Almost all marine bioluminescence is blue in color, for two related reasons. First, blue-green light (wavelength around 470 nm) transmits furthest in water.

How does the Loosejaw fish use bioluminescence?

The loosejaw dragonfish use bioluminescence to find prey in another way. This animal has an organ that emits red light located under its eyeball. Red light does not penetrate to the deep sea. Many deep-sea animals use this fact to their advantage — their red-colored bodies make them near impossible to see at depth.

What does the stoplight Loosejaw eat?

Adult stoplight loosejaws are less than one foot (30 cm) long and eat small fishes and crustaceans. The stoplight loosejaw uses its long, needle-like teeth and unique jaws to ensure that no passing meal is too big to miss.

What is the faceless fish?

The faceless cusk (Typhlonus nasus) is a genus of cusk-eel found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans at depths from 3,935 to 5,100 m (12,910 to 16,732 ft). This species grows to 46.5 cm (18.3 in) in standard length. The fish is named after its appearance due to having an extremely reduced “face”.

What causes bioluminescence?

Bioluminescence occurs through a chemical reaction that produces light energy within an organism’s body. For a reaction to occur, a species must contain luciferin, a molecule that, when it reacts with oxygen, produces light.

Can dragon fish turn invisible?

Deep-sea fish have evolved transparent teeth which, along with their black bodies, make them invisible to prey. While dragonfish are only the size of a pencil, they are fearsome predators at the top of the food chain.

How do black dragonfish see?

Black dragonfish are bioluminescent, but unlike most such predators, which use their light primarily to attract prey, they can see their own light. As a result, the fish can use their light to hunt. The light is nearly in the infrared and barely visible to the human eye.

Why do Barreleyes have transparent heads?

To better serve their vision, barreleyes have large, dome-shaped, transparent heads; this presumably allows the eyes to collect even more incident light and likely protects the sensitive eyes from the nematocysts (stinging cells) of the siphonophores, from which the barreleye is believed to steal food.