Macropinna microstoma

Macropinna microstoma

Macropinna microstoma, also called glass -head fish, is a Tiefseefischart from the family of ghosts fish ( Opisthoproctidae ). She lives in the northern Pacific from the Bering Strait and Japan to the Mexican Baja California.

Features

Macropinna microstoma has a dark brown body, which can reach a length of eleven inches. The eyes are tubular and can be directed forward or upward. They are covered by a transparent protective cover 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 cover is a transparent skin that ranges from the Subokularknochen that protect the eyes laterally until the beginning of the scales of the back. Under the hood is a fluid-filled space that protects the eyes in addition. The lenses of the eyes are green. If Macropinna microstoma caught and brought to the surface, collapsing the guard or lost. Is a thin bony crest, which is extended to the rear and also encloses the brain between the eyes. Two round pits between the eyes and mouth are olfactory perception. The mouth is terminal and very small. At the beginning of the tail fins stem is a small adipose fin.

Fins formula: dorsal 11, anal 14

Way of life

Macropinna microstoma lives mainly in mesopelagic in depths of 16-1015 meters and feeds on zooplankton, such as crustaceans and parts of jellyfish. He will lay eggs and larvae are pelagic.