Lanternfish

Lanternfish

Benthosema
Bolinichthys
Centrobranchus
Ceratoscopelus
Diaphus
Diogenichthys
Electrona
Gonichthys
Gymnoscopelus
Hintonia
Hygophum
Idiolychnus
Krefftichthys
Lampadena
Lampanyctodes
Lampanyctus
Lampichthys
Lepidophanes
Lobianchia
Loweina
Metelectrona
Myctophum
Nannobrachium
Notolychnus
Notoscopelus
Parvilux
Protomyctophum
Scopelopsis
Stenobrachius
Symbolophorus
Taaningichthys
Tarletonbeania
Triphoturus

Not to be confused with Lophiiformes Anglerfish (some of which have bioluminescent "lanterns" which grow from their foreheads).

Lanternfishes (or myctophids, from the Greek mykter, "nose" and ophis, "serpent") are small mesopelagic fish of the large family Myctophidae. One of two families in the order Myctophiformes, the Myctophidae are represented by 246 species in 33 genera, and are found in oceans worldwide. They are aptly named after their conspicuous use of bioluminescence. Their sister family, the Neoscopelidae, are much fewer in number but superficially very similar; at least one neoscopelid shares the common name 'lanternfish': the large-scaled lantern fish, Neoscopelus macrolepidotus.

Sampling via deep trawling indicates that lanternfish account for as much as 65% of all deep sea fish biomass. Indeed, lanternfish are among the most widely distributed, populous, and diverse of all vertebrates, playing an important ecological role as prey for larger organisms. With an estimated global biomass of 550 - 660 million metric tonnes, several times the entire world fisheries catch, lanternfish also account for much of the biomass responsible for the deep scattering layer of the world's oceans. In the Southern Ocean, myctophids provide an alternative food resource to krill for predators such as squid and the king penguin. Although plentiful and prolific, currently only a few commercial lanternfish fisheries exist: limited operations off South Africa, in the sub-Antarctic, and in the Gulf of Oman.

Read more about Lanternfish:  Description, Ecology