Phosichthyidae
Encyclopedia
Lightfishes are small stomiiform fishes in the family Phosichthyidae
They are very small fishes found in oceans throughout the world: most species grow no longer than 10 cm, while those in the genus Vinciguerria
only reach 4 cm or so.
They make up for their small size with abundant numbers: Vinciguerria
is thought — with the possible exception of Cyclothone — to be the most abundant genus of vertebrates. Deep-sea trawls of the Humboldt Current
in the southeast Pacific have found that lightfishes make up 85% by mass of mesopelagic fishes, with Vinciguerria lucetia
by far the most numerous species.
They are bioluminescent fishes, possessing rows of photophore
s along their sides, with which they hunt plankton
ic invertebrate
s, especially krill
.
They are very small fishes found in oceans throughout the world: most species grow no longer than 10 cm, while those in the genus Vinciguerria
Vinciguerria
Vinciguerria are a genus of lightfishes.-Included species:The genus Vinciguerria include the following species:* Vinciguerria attenuata* Vinciguerria lucetia * Vinciguerria mabahiss...
only reach 4 cm or so.
They make up for their small size with abundant numbers: Vinciguerria
Vinciguerria
Vinciguerria are a genus of lightfishes.-Included species:The genus Vinciguerria include the following species:* Vinciguerria attenuata* Vinciguerria lucetia * Vinciguerria mabahiss...
is thought — with the possible exception of Cyclothone — to be the most abundant genus of vertebrates. Deep-sea trawls of the Humboldt Current
Humboldt Current
The Humboldt Current , also known as the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru. It is an eastern boundary current flowing in the direction of the equator, and can extend...
in the southeast Pacific have found that lightfishes make up 85% by mass of mesopelagic fishes, with Vinciguerria lucetia
Vinciguerria lucetia
Vinciguerria lucetia is a species of the genus Vinciguerria known by the common name Panama lightfish....
by far the most numerous species.
They are bioluminescent fishes, possessing rows of photophore
Photophore
A photophore is a light-emitting organ which appears as luminous spots on various marine animals, including fish and cephalopods. The organ can be simple, or as complex as the human eye; equipped with lenses, shutters, color filters and reflectors...
s along their sides, with which they hunt plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s, especially krill
Krill
Krill is the common name given to the order Euphausiacea of shrimp-like marine crustaceans. Also known as euphausiids, these small invertebrates are found in all oceans of the world...
.
Species
There are 24 species in seven genera:- Genus IchthyococcusIchthyococcusIchthyococcus are a genus of lightfishes.-Included species:The genus Ichthyococcus include the following species:* Ichthyococcus australis* Slim lightfish, Ichthyococcus elongatus* Ichthyococcus intermedius...
- Ichthyococcus australisIchthyococcus australisIchthyococcus australis is a species of the genus Ichthyococcus. It is also known as Southern lightfish....
Mukhacheva, 1980. - Slim lightfishSlim lightfishSlim lightfish, also known as Ichthyococcus elongatus, is a species of the genus Ichthyococcus....
, Ichthyococcus elongatus Imai, 1941. - Ichthyococcus intermediusIchthyococcus intermediusIchthyococcus intermedius, also known as Intermediate lightfish, is a species of the genus Ichthyococcus....
Mukhacheva, 1980. - Bulldog lightfishBulldog lightfishBulldog lightfish, also known as Ichthyococcus irregularis, is a species of the genus Ichthyococcus....
, Ichthyococcus irregularis Rechnitzer & Böhlke, 1958. - Ichthyococcus ovatusIchthyococcus ovatusIchthyococcus ovatus is a lightfish of the genus Ichthyococcus....
(Cocco, 1838). - Ichthyococcus pariniIchthyococcus pariniIchthyococcus parini is a lightfish of the genus Ichthyococcus....
Mukhacheva, 1980. - Ichthyococcus polliIchthyococcus polliIchthyococcus polli is a lightfish of the genus Ichthyococcus....
Blache, 1963.
- Ichthyococcus australis
- Genus Phosichthys
- Phosichthys argenteusPhosichthys argenteusPhosichthys argenteus, a lightfish and the only member of the genus Phosichthys, is found in deep subtropical waters of all oceans, from depths of 500 to 2,000 m. Its length is between 10 and 30 cm...
Hutton, 1872.
- Phosichthys argenteus
- Genus Pollichthys
- Stareye lightfishStareye lightfishThe stareye lightfish is a species in the monotypic genus of Pollichthys.They are small stomiiform fishes found in oceans throughout the world...
, Pollichthys mauli (Poll, 1953).
- Stareye lightfish
- Genus Polymetme
- Polymetme andriashevi Parin & Borodulina, 1990.
- Polymetme corythaeola (AlcockAlfred William AlcockAlfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
, 1898). - Polymetme elongata (Imai, 1941).
- Polymetme illustris McCulloch, 1926.
- Polymetme surugaensis (Matsubara, 1943).
- Polymetme thaeocoryla Parin & Borodulina, 1990.
- Genus VinciguerriaVinciguerriaVinciguerria are a genus of lightfishes.-Included species:The genus Vinciguerria include the following species:* Vinciguerria attenuata* Vinciguerria lucetia * Vinciguerria mabahiss...
- Vinciguerria attenuataVinciguerria attenuataVinciguerria attenuata is a species of Vinciguerria....
(Cocco, 1838). - Panama lightfish, Vinciguerria lucetiaVinciguerria lucetiaVinciguerria lucetia is a species of the genus Vinciguerria known by the common name Panama lightfish....
(Garman, 1899). - Vinciguerria mabahissVinciguerria mabahissVinciguerria mabahiss is a species of Vinciguerria....
Johnson & Feltes, 1984. - Oceanic lightfishOceanic lightfishThe oceanic lightfish, Vinciguerria nimbaria, a lightfish of the genus Vinciguerria, is found in all deep tropical and subtropical oceans and seas, from depths of 20 to 5,000 m...
, Vinciguerria nimbaria (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& Williams, 1895). - Power's deep-water bristle-mouth fish, Vinciguerria poweriaeVinciguerria poweriaeVinciguerria poweriae is a species of lightfish belonging to the genus Vinciguerria. They are mostly found in seawater deep during the day and deep at night. They feed on small crustaceans....
(Cocco, 1838).
- Vinciguerria attenuata
- Genus WoodsiaWoodsiaWoodsia is a genus of ferns in the family Woodsiaceae. It includes the following species :*Woodsia alpina S. F. Gray*Woodsia appalachiana T. M. C. Taylor*Woodsia cochisensis Windham...
- Woodsia meyerwaardeni Krefft, 1973.
- Bigeye lightfish, Woodsia nonsuchae (Beebe, 1932).
- Genus Yarrella
- Yarrella argenteola (Garman, 1899).
- Yarrella blackfordi Goode & Bean, 1896.