lanternfish
1
9.6
A small deep-sea fish with rows of light organs along its sides that rises to the surface at night
- noun
- /ˈlæn.tərnˌfɪʃ/
:
pez linterna
- During the night, schools of lanternfish rise to the surface to feed while their bodies emit a soft glow.
Examples
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Using this technique, Gilly has shown that squid migrate to deep-water hypoxic zones in the Sea of Cortez, following the daily movements of lanternfish, their primary prey.
Academic text (2007) -
The lanternfish glows in the dark waters of the ocean, attracting other fish with its light-producing organs.
-
Researchers observed that the lanternfish uses its bioluminescence to communicate and evade predators in the deep sea.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A family of small deep-sea fish called lanternfish that make light along their bodies
is a single species rather than a broader taxonomic group
Surface Forms
lanternfish singular
lanternfishes plural
Morphology
Etymology
The word lanternfish is simply lantern ('a small lamp') plus fish, so it literally names a fish that 'carries a light'. That's why these deep-sea fish have rows of glowing lights along their sides to attract food and find each other in the dark ocean.