Plastic Barrel-eye Fish

Now THAT'S a goofy-lookin' fish!

Our Plastic Barrel-Eye Fish

Our unusual and colorful plastic barrel-eye fish is 5 1/2 inches long from its jaws to its tail. The body is constructed of dense, somewhat flexible plastic. The plastic glows in the dark, and the unpainted parts (the lower jaw and underbelly) will emit a pale green light in a dark room. The fish has a brown body, and an orange face, fins and tail. On the belly, in tiny letters, is written "lanternfish," but this fish lacks the shape or fin arrangement of any lanternfish I found in my research. Previously we had simply called our barrel-eye a "mystery fish" and asked for help in identifying it. A visitor to our website named William directed us to a barrel-eye and for this we a grateful to him. Please see all our other deepwater toys and gifts.

About Barrel-Eye Fish

The barrel-eye fish (Opisthoproctus soleatus) is an amazing deepwater fish which lives in the aphotic zone near the top where no light penetrates. It is equipped with large, highly developed, light-sensitive, barrel-shaped eyes which direct its vision upwards toward the faintest light in order to spot the shape of prey. It is about 10 inches long and has an elaborate fin structure, luminescent organs, and a transparent to translucent head. The light emanating from the barrel-eye tends to confuse predators, making it difficult for them to see it as a fish. Little is known about the number of barrel-eyes in existence and about its reproductive cycle.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.