# Flashlight Fish (*flashlight fish symbiont*) Flashlight fish are unique creatures that can light up the dark ocean with their glowing spots. They use this light to communicate and find food in the deep sea. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Deep Sea ![Flashlight Fish](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424542/objects/6087.jpg) ## Appearance The Flashlight Fish is a small, dark-bodied fish, typically grey or black, with a striking, distinctive light organ directly below each eye. This organ emits a bright, continuous green-blue glow, making it visually unique amidst its shadowy deep-sea habitat. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Beryciformes - **Family:** Anomalopidae - **Genus:** Anomalops ## Interesting facts - Imagine living in total darkness and having your own built-in, blinking headlights for eyes! - Some people once used captured Flashlight Fish as a living lure for night fishing! - Their amazing glow comes from millions of tiny living bacteria, not from the fish itself! - They can gather in large, glowing schools, creating spectacular underwater light displays! ## Special abilities - **Bioluminescent Headlights:** Flashlight Fish has special pouches under its eyes filled with glowing bacteria, which helps them see and navigate in the dark deep ocean. - **Light-Switch Eyes:** Flashlight Fish can blink their lights on and off by rotating their light organs, which helps them signal friends or confuse predators. - **Predator Distractor:** Flashlight Fish can flash their lights erratically to startle potential threats or create a 'light show' to escape danger. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 5-11 cm - **Weight:** 0.01-0.05 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-5 years - **Swim Speed:** 4 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 400 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding These nocturnal hunters munch on tiny crustaceans and small fish in the dark ocean. - **Primary Foods:** Zooplankton, Copepods, Small crustaceans, Larval fish - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Bioluminescent bacteria (*Photobacterium leiognathi*) — Bacteria live in light organs, providing the fish's glow. - **Eaten by:** Two-spot Red Snapper (*Lutjanus bohar*) — Larger predatory reef fish may hunt Flashlight Fish. - **Eats:** Copepod (*Calanus finmarchicus*) — Flashlight Fish feed on these tiny, abundant marine crustaceans. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Symbiotic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/symbiotic): Describes a relationship between two different species where they live in close association, often benefiting one or both. - [Deep Sea](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deep-sea): Deep sea habitats are characterized by extreme pressure, darkness, and cold temperatures, supporting unique life forms below the sunlit zone. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Glowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/glowing): Pertaining to organisms that emit light through bioluminescence or fluorescence. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. - [Venomous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/venomous): Venomous organisms produce toxins that are injected into another animal, typically through a bite or sting. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Flashlight fish are harmless to humans. Always observe them from a safe distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Flashlight Fish? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Flashlight Fish? 5-11 cm ### How much does Flashlight Fish weigh? 0.01-0.05 kg ### How long does Flashlight Fish live? 3-5 years ### What does Flashlight Fish eat? These nocturnal hunters munch on tiny crustaceans and small fish in the dark ocean. ### How fast can Flashlight Fish swim? 4 km/h ### Where is Flashlight Fish usually found? Deep Sea ### How does Flashlight Fish hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [California Academy of Sciences](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/california-academy-of-sciences-california) — California, US · Zoo - [California Academy of Sciences](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/california-academy-of-sciences) — California, US · Aquarium ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Flashlight Fish: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/flashlight-fish)