The deep ocean To be nature‘S Technical department. Deep-dwelling creatures have adapted some wonderful ways to survive and thrive in their harsh habitats. Species of this species: Anomalops katoptron, also known as flashlight fish, named for its bioluminescent patches. If you ask me, these are headlights.
The first time I know the flashlight fish on Twitter through a video showing a small group of these guys in an aquarium in a dark room. In this context, with a bit of background light, their teal blue headlights stand out. Check it out:
In their natural habitat, you are less likely to see flashlight fish so clearly. They hang out along the reefs, using small floodlights to help them see to find food and swim in school.
Those bioluminescent arrays are also a fascinating example of symbiosis: Light comes from luminescent bacteria that grow in what I call floodlights. Flashlight fish grow to send more oxygen to the plaques where luminescent bacteria grow, allowing the bacteria to thrive and producing useful light for the fish.
Fish can even turn their small headlights on and off, depending on whether they need light to see their surroundings or darkness to hide from predators.
Scientists are still learning about flashlight fish and how they use bioluminescence to their benefit. Here’s a fun video from National Geographic – you can hear the excitement in the voice of marine biologist David Gruber as he explains how he and his crew happened to the lightfish school this battery.
Now we just have to figure out how to give these little guys some taillights – maybe some universal matching trailer lights to begin?
