My life is slow and dark, but I am a patient creature that understands how to observe my surroundings until I find the best moment to strike. With its protection, I can slip between the tentacles of siphonophores safely and steal the captured copepods for myself. And so I am also dependent on the dome shield that surrounds my eyes. Without my advanced vision, however, I would be completely helpless in the depths. The bioluminescence of my prey would simply work to my advantage, as I lie in wait for their silhouette to pass overhead. I would thrive in darkness that most other creatures would find themselves helpless in because my eyes are specially designed to see everything. If I were a Barreleye fish, my life would be completely dependent on my eyes. Some captured Barreleyes actually contained small jellyfish in their digestive tract, and many biologists theorize that the fish actually steals its food from the tentacles of Siphonophores. It would also need to be something small, so to fit inside the tiny mouth of the Barreleye. If the Barreleye does not chase down its prey, however, that would also imply that its food of choice is slow, or something that simply floats by. This can be assumed because its fins are designed to remain motionless in the water for long periods of time. It’s safe to assume that this fish does not actively seek out its prey by hunting, but rather lies in wait for food to either drift or swim by above. Because of this, the Barreleye is most commonly seen looking up rather than in any other direction.ĭrawing from the context of the Barreleye’s physical attributes, as well as its recorded behavior, it’s easy enough to infer on the lifestyle of the Macropinna Microstoma. They are found in the temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The lens is surrounded by tight muscles that naturally rest in the upright position, but are able to rotate the eye forward when needed. Barreleye Fish The barreleye fish is also sometimes known as the spook fish. In the National Marine Sanctuary System, we’ve seen barreleye fish in the deep waters near Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and they’re likely in the deep waters near the other California. The source of the green pigment is the large lense that takes up the majority of the eye itself. Barreleyes live at extreme depths of 1,800 to 2,600 feet below the surface in Pacific waters between Japan, the Bering Strait, and Baja California. (MBARI) When hit by light, the eyes glow a vibrant, reflective green color. They are tubular, meaning they contain a massive lens and a multilayer retina, which are used to capture the maximum amount of light from a specific direction. The eyes of the Macropinna Microstoma are adept tools designed to collect light. The behavior, movement, and appearance of the Barreleye all work to represent the truly alien world of the oceanic depths. It’s known for the bulbous, green eyes that rest within its transparent head, which can detect sunlight at a depth mankind needs robotics to reach. ![]() The Macropinna Microstoma, or Barreleye fish, depends on its vision to persevere in the harsh deep sea. ![]() Having the ability to find light in such an environment would be an advantage over an abundance of predators and prey alike. “We do spend a lot of time exploring down there, so I can say with some confidence that they’re quite rare,” he says.When living in a world of complete darkness, it’s crucial to develop a way to detect one’s surroundings in order to survive. In his 30-year career, Robison says he has only seen these 15cm-long fish alive maybe eight times. Their tactic may be to swim up to siphonophores and nibble on the small prey snagged in their tentacles, using the transparent shield to protect their green eyes from stings.īut encountering barreleyes in the wild is not easy. He thinks this canopy probably helps protect their eyes as they steal food from among the stinging tentacles of siphonophores – animals that float through the deep sea in long, deadly strings, like drift nets.īarreleyes have been found with a mix of food in their stomachs, including siphonophores’ tentacles, as well as animals that siphonophores feed on, including small crustaceans called copepods. “It had this canopy over its eyes like on a jet fighter,” he says, referring to the transparent front part of the barreleye’s body, which had been torn off all the specimens he had previously brought to the surface. Seeing a barreleye alive in the deep, Robison saw something else that scientists had previously missed.
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