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Although fish with luminous organs are not uncommon in the deeper parts of the sea the lanterneye fish is quite a note worthy group. This is because they are on only known family of fish that have the ability to turn their lights off and on at will. From the Beryciformes order, these amazing fish carry luminescent organs, which are bean shaped glandular organs, just below the eyes. These fish are one of only a few species of non deep sea fish to have such organs. Lanterneye fish come from the family Anomalopidae with all three genera of the family showing the same structure. When they desire to decrease their luminosity these fish will either pull a black covering over the organ or turn the organ inward. Of course, how they decrease their luminosity depends on the species but in all cases this organ is very bright.
In some species these fish will create a blinking light effect with their luminescent organs while they are swimming. This is done by alternately darkening and then uncovering the organ. Other species of the lanterneye fish will allow their luminous organ to shine at its full intensity in a continuous period that has been known to last as much as thirty minutes at a time. The luminosity is created by a phosphorescent bacteria that is constantly formed in the luminosity organ of the fish. In most cases lanterneye fish can be found living near the waters surface and during the day their luminous effects cannot be seen. But at night they can be easily detected and it is believed that the light aids them with finding their prey since the organs cast the light in front of the fish much like the head lights on a car.
Lanterneye fish are a smaller fish, growing only up to one foot in length. Like many of the beryciformes, two of the species, Photoblepharon palpebratus and Anomalops Kaptoptron, make their home in tropical marine areas around the Indo-Pacific regions of the East Indies. A third species of the lanterneye fish can be found near the coastal areas of the Caribbean. In the western Pacific lanterneye fish are found from the Philippine Island and Indonesia to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef. In some areas these fish are also called the splitfin flashlight fish and though they have no commercial use the are occasionally used as bait. Lanterneye fish are harmless, hiding during the day and coming out at night to feed mostly on dark moonless night.
The lanterneye fish can usually be found hiding among reef areas where they feed on zooplankton that is attracted to the symbionitic bacteria which creates the lanterneye fishes luminosity. In most cases they can be found in the shallow waters near the reef. It is believed that these fish leave their eggs unguarded after they are laid going about their business and allowing the young to make it on their own after hatching. From time to time some species are caught in the waters of the Philippines by fishing boats using casting nets. The larger deep water form of the lanterneye fish has been observed and caught at depths up to 400 meters. The deep water lanterneye fish will rise to the shallows to feed but only during dark nights.
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