Stomiidae is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

of deep-sea

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

, including the barbeled dragonfishes. They are quite small, usually around 15 cm, up to 26 cm. These fish are apex predators and have enormous jaws filled with fang-like teeth. They are also able to hinge the neurocranium and upper-jaw system, which leads to the opening of the jaw to more than 100 degrees. This ability allows them to consume extremely large prey, often 50% greater than their standard length.

Features

It is one of the many species of deep-sea fish that can produce their own light through a chemical process known as

bioluminescence Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some b ...

. A special organ known as a

photophore A photophore is a glandular organ that 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, ...

helps produce this light. The deep-sea dragonfishes have large heads, and mouths equipped with many sharp fang-like teeth. They have a long stringlike structure known as barbel, with a light-producing photophore at the tip, attached to their chin. They also have photophores attached along the sides of their body. A specific species of Stomiidae, the Chauliodus, cannot luminescence longer than 30 minutes without adrenaline. However, in presence of adrenaline, it can produce light for many hours. They produce blue-green light, the wavelengths of which can travel the farthest in the ocean. The deep-sea dragonfish waves its barbel back and forth and produces flashing lights on and off to attract prey and potential mates. Many of the species they prey upon also produce light themselves, which is why they have evolved to have black stomach walls to keep the lights concealed while digesting their meal in order to stay hidden from their predators.

Representative species gallery

File:Astronesthes niger.PNG, ''

Astronesthes niger ''Astronesthes niger'', commonly known as snaggletooth, is a species of small, deep sea fish in the family Stomiidae. It occurs in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Indian Ocean ...

'' File:Bathophilus vaillanti.jpg, '' Bathophilus vaillanti'' File:Chauliodus danae.jpg, ''

Chauliodus danae ''Chauliodus danae'', or dana viperfish, is a species of viperfish in the family Stomiidae. The Dana Viperfish is mostly found in the bathyal zone The bathypelagic zone or bathyal zone (from Greek βαθύς (bathýs), deep) is the part of the ...

'' File:Echiostoma barbatum.jpg, '' Echiostoma barbatum'' File:Eustomias trewavasae (no common name).gif, '' Eustomias trewavasae'' File:Grammatostomias dentatus.jpg, '' Grammatostomias dentatus'' File:Idiacanthus atlanticus.jpg, ''

Idiacanthus atlanticus ''Idiacanthus atlanticus'', the black dragonfish, is a barbeled dragonfish of the family Stomiidae, found circumglobally in southern subtropical and temperate oceans between latitudes 25°S and 60°S, at depths down to . The species is sexually ...

'' File:Malacosteus niger (black).jpg, ''

Malacosteus niger ''Malacosteus niger'', commonly known as the black dragon fish, is a species of deep-sea fish. Some additional common names for this species include: northern stoplight loosejaw, lightless loosejaw, black loosejaw, and black hinged-head.Harold, A. ...

'' File:Melanostomias melanops.jpg, '' Melanostomias melanops'' File:Neonesthes capensis (no common name).gif, '' Neonesthes capensis'' File:Opostomias micripnus.jpg, ''

Opostomias micripnus ''Opostomias micripnus'', commonly known as the obese dragonfish, is a species of Deep-sea fish, deep-sea ray-finned fish of the Family (biology), family Stomiidae found in the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

'' File:Pachystomias microdon.jpg, '' Pachystomias microdon'' File:Photonectes gracilis.jpg, ''

Photonectes gracilis ''Photonectes'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Stomiidae found in Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean. Species There are currently 23 recognized species in this genus: * ''Photonectes achirus'' Ch ...

'' File:Photostomias atrox.JPG, '' Photostomias atrox'' File:Stneb u0.jpg, '' Stomias nebulosus''

References

External links

Science Alert">ScienceAlert, Science Alert
article with images and video*
Review of the Astronesthid Fishes

Malacosteus niger

The Deep Sea ocean biology

Science and the Sea, ''Dragonfish''

Stomiidae, Ray-finned fish families {{Stomiiformes-stub