So, scientists also use sound-emitting devices called echosounders to work out where we are and how many of us there might be (For more information on ecosounders, see this Frontiers for Young Minds article). To study us, scientists try to catch us using nets, but we are excellent at detecting when a net is coming and quickly get out of the way. Would you believe they figured this out by counting the rings in small calcium deposits in our ear bones, called otoliths-a bit like counting rings in a tree trunk. Scientists tell me that I might live to be about 4 years old. I grow up to 11.5 cm long, which may seem small but lots of lanternfish species that live in warmer water are even smaller. I can be found from the ocean surface down to depths of more than 1 km. I am a real polar specialist, as I only live in the cold water of the Southern Ocean. “Hi! My name is Luna and I am a lanternfish of the species Electrona antarctica (see Figure 1). For example, the king penguin is a specialized hunter of lanternfish-around 80% of a king penguin’s diet is lanternfish and these penguins can dive up to 300 m deep to catch their prey! Lanternfish are also an important source of food for fur seals, birds, and larger fish including the Patagonian toothfish.īox 1 - The life and times of Luna the lanternfish. The waters of the Southern Ocean are very cold and there is a unique community of animals for lanternfish to feed on (for example, Antarctic krill) and a unique community of predators that lanternfish can be eaten by.
Read the story of one such species in Box 1. Roughly 20 species of lanternfish live in the Southern Ocean, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem. They have been seen in Arctic waters close to the North Pole but are much more abundant in the ocean surrounding Antarctica, which is called the Southern Ocean. In general, tropical regions contain the highest numbers and greatest species diversity of lanternfish, but lanternfish are also found in polar regions. As a family, lanternfish are some of the most abundant fish on Earth, providing food and energy to marine predators across the world. However, what they lack in size they make up for in abundance and diversity! There are around 254 species of lanternfish and lanternfish species can be found living in all the world’s oceans. The Life of a LanternfishĪt <20 cm long, lanternfish (scientific name Myctophidae) are relatively small fish. In this article, we explain current knowledge on Southern Ocean lanternfish, including how they produce their own light! We will also tell you about some mysteries surrounding lanternfish that scientists are yet to solve.
Lanternfish also play an important role in moving carbon from the atmosphere into the deep ocean, where it is stored. A unique community of lanternfish live in the Southern Ocean, where they are a key part of the Antarctic food web. They live deep in the ocean’s “twilight” zone where there is not much light. Lanternfish are a relatively small but very abundant fish.
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