Lantern fish (myctophiids)

Lantern fish (myctophiids) are species that migrate from the deep midwater 800-1000 m to shallow

depths 200 – 300 m during the night.

You will find that the lanternfish are among the most abundant and diverse of all oceanic fish families.

Therefore the lanternfish are among the most widely distributed,populous, and diverse of all vertebrates, playing an important ecological role as prey for larger organisms.

The estimated global biomass of 550–660 million metric tones, several times the entire world fisheries catch.

In the Southern Ocean, myctophids provide an alternative food resource for predators such as squid and the king penguin.

Islands in the Stream: May 10 – October 3, 2001