Scopelarchus analis explained

Scopelarchus analis, the short fin pearleye or blackbelly pearleye, is a species of fish that can be found circumglobal in warm waters.^[1] It is a member of the Scopelarchus, a genus of pearleyes.

Size

This species reaches a max length of .^[2]

Biology

It has a unique cylindrical eye that it is directed dorsally. This allows the fish to gain a binocular view of the water column above.^[3] The fish also possesses a unique adaptation where it has multiple retinae. The primary retina is located at the base of the cylinder, an accessory retina along the nasal wall, and between the two is a retinal diverticulum.

Notes and References

1. Davis . Matthew P. . March 2015 . Evolutionary Relationships of the Deep-Sea Pearleyes (Aulopiformes: Scopelarchidae) and a New Genus of Pearleye from Antarctic Waters . Copeia . en . 103 . 1 . 64–71 . 10.1643/CI-14-139 . 0045-8511. free .
2. Johnson . Robert Karl . 1974 . Five New Species and a New Genus of Alepisauroid Fishes of the Scopelarchidae (Pisces: Myctophiformes) . Copeia . 1974 . 2 . 449–457 . 10.2307/1442536 . 0045-8511.
3. Pointer . Marie A. . Carvalho . Livia S. . Cowing . Jill A. . Bowmaker . James K. . Hunt . David M. . 2007-08-15 . The visual pigments of a deep-sea teleost, the pearl eye Scopelarchus analis . Journal of Experimental Biology . en . 210 . 16 . 2829–2835 . 10.1242/jeb.006064 . 1477-9145. free .