Lanternfish
(Redirected from Myctophidae)
Lanternfish are small mesopelagic fish of the family Myctophidae. They are one of two families in the order Myctophiformes. They have 246 species in 33 genera, and are found in oceans worldwide.
Description
These fish have slender bodies and big elliptical to round lateral eyes (dorsolateral in Protomyctophum species). They also have a large mouth with jaws closely set with rows of small teeth.
Why they're called lanternfish
Lanternfish are called "lanternfish" because of their photophores and their ability to produce bioluminescence.
Genera
The 33 genera are:
- 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
Lanternfish Media
Some lanternfish species (family Myctophidae) 
Lanternfish use ventrolateral (belly) photophores as counterillumination to camouflage their silhouette when viewed from below.
References
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2004). "Myctophidae" in FishBase. December 2004 version.