Astronesthes sp. (2008)
Encyclopedia
Astronesthes sp. is a stareater
Stareater (fish)
Snaggletooths or stareaters are any of a number of small, deep-sea stomiid fish in the genus Astronesthes. They possess a bioluminescent red chin barbel that the fish use to lure prey into striking distance.-Species:*A. atlanticus...

 from the depths of the Antarctic Ocean south of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It attracts
Ambush predator
Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture prey by stealth or cunning, not by speed or necessarily by strength. These organisms usually hide motionless and wait for prey to come within striking distance. They are often camouflaged, and may be solitary...

 small prey using the glowing red tip of a long black barbel
Barbel (anatomy)
A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...

 on its chin as a lure.

The fish grows to a length of 21 centimetres (8.3 in). The mouth of the fish is filled with sharp, needlelike, curved teeth. The skin is delicate, and when trapped in a net, scientists abrased a specimen's skin retrieving it. Lining the belly of the stareater are tiny black dots, which serve as a type of light organ. Whether these produce or sense light remains unclear in Andrew Stewart's description.
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