Sperm Whale Fangtooth Silver Hatchetfish (Wikimedia) As with other deep sea fish the Marine Hatchetfish has large, tubular eyes which point up. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Deep-sea hatchetfishes are small, shining silver fishes. Hatchetfish are well camouflaged. Hatchetfishes have large, tubular eyes that pointing upward. Coelacanth In some species, such as the highlight hatchetfish (Sternoptyx pseudobscura), large sections of the body at the base of the anal fin and/or caudal fin are transparent. Naturally, this allows this dangerous predator to observe its surroundings from the ocean floor. Hatchetfishes are found in most temperate waters of the world where they are found at depths ranging from 600 feet (180 meters) to 4,500 feet (1,370 meters). Sixgill Shark Explore {{searchView.params.phrase}} by color family {{familyColorButtonText(colorFamily.name)}} It is a member of the Sternoptychidae family of deep sea fishes. Atlantic Hagfish Other Names: None Of the several species of hatchetfish that inhabit the ocean depths, the largest is Argyropelecus gigas, also known as the giant or large hatchetfish. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! These photophores produce light by means of a chemical reaction similar to that of the land-based firefly. Gulper Eel Deep-sea fishes…. Not much is known about the life cycle of hatchetfishes. All rights reserved. [1][5], The body is deep and laterally extremely compressed, somewhat resembling a hatchet (with the thorax being the "blade" and the caudal peduncle being the "handle"). This enables them to search for food falling from the above. Like many deep sea fishes, they have light-producing organs in rows along their bellies. It ultimately derives from Ancient Greek stérnon (στέρνον, "breast") + ptýx (πτύξ, "a fold/crease") + Latin forma ("external form"), the Greek part in reference to the thorax shape of marine hatchetfishes. Lanternfish Bioluminescence They are most well known for their extremely thin bodies which really do resemble the blade of a hatchet. [1], The scientific name means "Sternoptyx-subfamily", from Sternoptyx (the type genus) + the standard animal family suffix "-inae". They are abundant in warm and temperate regions throughout the world, usually at depths of about 200–1,000 m (650–3,000 feet). Most of their reproductive habits are a mystery, although it is known that the juveniles look much different that the adults. There are about 45 individual species of hatchetfish that vary in size from one to six inches. Hatchetfish, any member of two unrelated groups of hatchet-shaped fishes—deep-sea forms of the family Sternoptychidae or freshwater fishes of the family Gasteropelecidae. Scientific Name: Argyropelecus gigas At day break, they return to the blackness of the deep ocean. Ocean Exploration | Sea Games | Sea Gallery | Sea Games | Sea Links, Visit Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Flying hatchetfishes generally swim near the surface, where they can catch their insect prey. The anatomical structure of the luminous organs of many fishes is similar to that of squids. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. There are three genera in this subfamily, with some 40 species altogether: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marine_hatchetfish&oldid=973256068, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from October 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 August 2020, at 06:30. Giant Tube Worm Deep Sea Dragonfish The eyes are large and in the genus Argyropelecus are mounted on tubes pointed upward. Their name comes from the Greek: sternon (chest) + ptyx, -ychos (fold) They are directed somewhat upwards, most conspicuously in the genus Argyropelecus. Oarfish Deep Sea Anglerfish The anal fin has 11-19 rays and in some species is divided in two parts; almost all have an adipose fin. They hunt by looking for the silhouettes of their prey moving overhead. Most researchers agree that they have a short life span of no longer than a year. They have light-producing organs in rows along their bellies not much is that. Home aquariums the tip of the deep sea fishes, luminescence is intracellularly... Upper waters. [ 1 ] [ 5 ] subfamily Sternoptychinae to an impressive six inches special organs... Entire depth range spans from 50 to 1,500 meters deep day break they... 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