Diogenes Lanternfish, Diogenichthys laternatus

Diogenes Lanternfish, Diogenichthys laternatus. Fish collected off the beach at Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur, April 2009. Length 1.5 cm (0.6 inches). Identification courtesy of Cindy Klepadio, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.

The Diogenes Lanternfish, Diogenichthys laternatus, is a member of the Lanternfish or Myctophidae Family, and in known in Mexico as linternilla de Diogenes. The Diogenes Lanternfish was named after Diogenes Laertius, the biographer of Greek philosophers, who wandered around ancient Greece carrying a lantern. Globally, there are three species in the genus Diogenichthys, of which one is found in Mexican waters, this fish from the Pacific Ocean.

The Diogenes Lanternfish has an oval body profile that is much deeper anteriorly and tapers to a small caudal fin base. They are red-brown in color and have a series of prominent photophores along their sides and belly. Their head has disproportionately large eyes and a small upturned terminal mouth. Their anal fin has 15 to 17 rays; and, their dorsal fin has 10 to 13 rays. They have no spines.

The Diogenes Lanternfish are an epipelagic and mesopelagic species found at depths up to 649 m (2,130 feet). They reach a maximum of 3.4 cm (1.3 inches) in length. They are believed to form dense aggregations near the coast and to migrate vertically toward the surface at night to feed on zooplankton, then retreat toward the bottom at night to avoid predation. They can be attracted by lights at night and collected with dip nets. They are heavily preyed upon by numerous marine fish and mammals. Reproduction is oviparous with pelagic planktonic eggs and larvae. The Diogenes Lanternfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Diogenes Lanternfish is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

From a conservation perspective the Diogenes Lanternfish has not been formally evaluations. They are small in stature, seldom seen by humans and are of limited interest to most.