Lanternfishes offer us a glimpse into organisms that use bioluminescence as a means of camouflage in a technique known as “counter-illumination”. Lanternfish avoid predation by using light to their advantage. The fish regulate the brightness of their photophores to match the light from above, disguising their shape from below.

Further study is imperative because of their potential use commercially, as well as their ecological importance to other populations, as their loss would have a severe impact on open ocean food webs.

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CASE STUDY:

Lanternfish comprise at least 20% of the oceanic fish population

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LANTERNFISH