WEIRD WATERY WEDNESDAY # 11

WEIRD WATERY

WEDNESDAY # 11

We know that our oceans, lakes and rivers have tons of wild and crazy creatures. Some of these animals are pretty creepy, especially in the deep dark depths of our oceans. We’ve found a very spooky fish for you today! So let’s go meet him!

MEET THE SPOOKFISH!

Range/Habitat: tropical- sub-tropical ocean waters/deep oceans

Diet: Carnivore: crustaceans, copepods, and anything they can get

Length: 3 ¼”

Conservation Status: unknown

Fun Facts:

• Spookfish have a very odd shape.
• They have transparent white bodies and long thin transparent pectoral (side) that are half the length of their bodies.
• The Spookfish most spectacular adaptation is their eyes. They are tubular and point upwards.
• Spookfish have a second eye on the side of their eye. It looks like a black spot.
• The second eye is actually part of the primary eye and points downward. It acts as a mirror and is thought to help the spookfish find animal are bioluminescent. (They have chemicals in their body that give of light.)

It’s only been in the last few years that scientist figured out how the Spookfish’s eye works. They aren’t seen very often because they live so deep in the ocean! Wow! There sure is an almost alien world down in the deep dark depths of ocean! We wonder what other monsters live there!

Check out these crazy creepy fish from National Marine Life Center!

http://nmlc.org/2011/10/13-spooky-sea-creatures/