Atlantic flashlightfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atlantic flashlightfish |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Kryptophanaron
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| Species: |
alfredi
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The Kryptophanaron alfredi, also known as the Atlantic flashlightfish, is a super cool fish that lives deep in the western Atlantic Ocean. It's famous for its special light organ, which helps it see in the dark and find food. This amazing fish is the only known member of its genus called Kryptophanaron. You can sometimes even find them in aquariums!
During the day, these fish hang out in waters as deep as 200 meters (about 656 feet). But when the moon isn't shining at night, they swim up to shallower waters, around 25 meters (about 82 feet) deep. Here, they search for tiny shrimp and small copepods to eat while swimming close to the ocean floor. The Atlantic flashlightfish can grow to be about 12.5 centimeters (about 5 inches) long.
Its Amazing Light!
The Atlantic flashlightfish has a truly special organ near its mouth. This organ is like a tiny home for millions of glowing bacteria called Photobacterium. These bacteria create enough light for the fish to navigate around coral reefs at night. The light also helps them attract prey, like small shrimp, right to them!
What's even cooler is how the fish controls its light. The light organ has a special membrane, like an eyelid. This "eyelid" can drop down to cover the light, letting the fish turn its glow on and off whenever it wants.
Where It Lives
The Atlantic flashlightfish lives in a wide area across the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. You can find them around many beautiful islands. These include the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Navassa Island, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Honduran Bay Islands, and Curacao.
Looking After Them
Scientists don't know a lot about how many Atlantic flashlightfish there are. This is because they live in deep waters and are active mostly at night. However, experts have listed them as "Least Concern" for now. This means they are not currently in danger. This is because they live across a very large area and don't seem to have any major threats.
