Oceanic lightfish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Oceanic lightfish | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.gif/180px-Vinciguerria_nimbaria_(Oceanic_lightfish).gif){kind=small} Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
|
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Vinciguerria nimbaria (Jordan & Williams, 1895) |
The 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 metres. Its length is between 2 and 5 centimetres.
The oceanic lightfish is a very small elongate deepwater species with large eyes and head. It has only one dorsal fin, and there are a distinctive series of short fleshy appendages around each side of the upper jaw.
These lightfish are silver tinted indigo on the back and silver on the flanks and belly with two rows of small photophores along each side.
Oceanic lightfish are abundant in the deep oceans of the world. They undertake daily vertical migrations, rising to the suface during the night to feed upon small copepods.
[edit] References
- "Vinciguerria nimbaria". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
