Astronesthes sp. (2008)
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 Astronesthes sp. (2008). The soft skin on this specimen was damaged by the net in which it was collected.
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| Astronesthes sp. (2008) |
Astronesthes sp. (2008) is a stareater from the depths of the Antarctic Ocean south of New Zealand. It attracts small prey using the glowing red tip of a long black barbel on its chin as a lure.
The fish grows to a length of 21cm. The mouth of the fish is filled with sharp, needlelike, curved teeth. The skin is delicate, and when trapped in a net, scientists abrased a specimen's skin retrieving it. Lining the belly of the stareater are tiny black dots, which serve as a type of light organ. Whether these produce or sense light remains unclear in Andrew Stewart's description.
[edit] References
Stewart, Andrew. "Science report: Denizens of the deep: daggertooth and stareater." NZ IPY-CAML Voyage 2008. 2008. Ministry of Fisheries. Crown Copyright: 2008. http://www.fish.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/7CF525AF-2985-4152-B225-28E52E389F3B/0/IPYdiary10.pdf.
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