Spookfish
Fast Facts
The brown-snout spookfish appears to have four eyes, but actually only has two. Each eye is split into two parts, which makes it look like it has four. One half points upward to give the fish a view of the ocean above and possibly food. The other, which looks like a bump on the side of its head, points down. It is the first vertebrate--animal with a backbone--to have developed mirrors to focus light into its eyes. Our eyes and the eyes of all other other veterbrates use lenses to direct and focus light. Mirrors work better at provided focused images in the deep water since they work well in places with little light.
Their eyes allow them to keep on eye out for predators above and below them. The spookfish has adapted to make use of what little light is there in the great depths of the ocean. It looks for flashes of bioluminescence or light from other animals to keep ahead of predators.
Food is scarce where it lives, so scientists believe it goes after anything living thing that it can catch. At four inches in size and with small teeth, its food options are limited.
Fast Facts
- eats anything that it can find in a habitat with little food
- size: possibly 4 inches
- depth range:
- Did you know? It has the strangest and most unusual eyes of any vertebrate.
The brown-snout spookfish appears to have four eyes, but actually only has two. Each eye is split into two parts, which makes it look like it has four. One half points upward to give the fish a view of the ocean above and possibly food. The other, which looks like a bump on the side of its head, points down. It is the first vertebrate--animal with a backbone--to have developed mirrors to focus light into its eyes. Our eyes and the eyes of all other other veterbrates use lenses to direct and focus light. Mirrors work better at provided focused images in the deep water since they work well in places with little light.
Their eyes allow them to keep on eye out for predators above and below them. The spookfish has adapted to make use of what little light is there in the great depths of the ocean. It looks for flashes of bioluminescence or light from other animals to keep ahead of predators.
Food is scarce where it lives, so scientists believe it goes after anything living thing that it can catch. At four inches in size and with small teeth, its food options are limited.