Macropinna microstoma
| Macropinna microstoma | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Macropinna | ||||||||||||
| Chapman , 1939 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Macropinna microstoma | ||||||||||||
| Chapman, 1939 |
Macropinna microstoma , also called glass-headed fish , is a deep-sea fish species from the ghost fishfamily(Opisthoproctidae). It lives in the northern Pacific from the Bering Strait and Japan to Baja California in Mexico.
features
Macropinna microstoma has a dark brown body that can reach a length of eleven centimeters. The eyes are tubular and can be pointed up or forward. They are covered by a transparent protective hood that covers the entire top of the concave- shaped head and probably serves to protect the sensitive eyes from the stinging cells of jellyfish, which are an important food source for Macropinna microstoma . The protective hood consists of a transparent skin that extends from the subocular bones, which protect the eyes at the sides, to the beginning of the scales on the back. Under the hood there is a liquid-filled space that provides additional protection for the eyes. The lenses of the eyes are green. If Macropinna microstoma is caught and brought to the surface of the water, the protective cover collapses or is lost. There is a thin crest of bone between the eyes, which is extended backwards and also encloses the brain. Two round pits between eyes and mouth are used for olfactory perception. The mouth is terminal and very small. At the beginning of the tail fin stalk there is a small adipose fin .
Fin formula : dorsal 11, anal 14.
Way of life
Macropinna microstoma lives primarily in the mesopelagial region , at depths of 16 to 1015 meters, and feeds on zooplankton such as crustaceans and parts of jellyfish. It lays eggs, the larvae are pelagic .
literature
- Bruce Robison & Kim Reisenbichler: Macropinna microstoma and the Paradox of Its Tubular Eyes. Copeia 2008 (4): 780-784. 2008 doi : 10.1643 / CG-07-082