The Digital Fish Library

Distribution:
Scattered warm-water locations, mostly in the Indo-Pacific.

Habitat:
Usually around coral or rocky reefs, in depths to 350 m, may ascend to the surface at night.

Remarks:
Flashlight fishes have a light organ beneath the large eye that functions to search for or attract prey, or by flashing to avoid predation. The light is generated by symbiotic bacteria, however, these fishes can control the amount of light transmitted either by rotating the organ downward, by erecting a black membrane to conceal it, or by doing both.

These fishes are nocturnal and ascend to feed on zooplankton or small shrimps in shallower waters. This family comprises 6 genera and 8 species.

References:
Moore, pp. 1182-1182, in: Carpenter 2002; Nelson 2006; Paxton & Johnson, pp. 2212-2213, in: Carpenter & Niem 1999