How Lanternfish Became One of the Most Successful Vertebrates on Earth

Analysis of fish ear bones reveals how bioluminescent lanternfish became so abundant. View in browser

Image credits: Giorgio Carnevale How Lanternfish Became One of the Most Successful Vertebrates on Earth Analysis of fish ear bones reveals how bioluminescent lanternfish became so abundant. Joshua Learn, Contributor August 25, 2021                                                                                                                                                                             (Inside Science) -- Lanternfish are known for the bioluminescent organs known as a photophores that guide them through the deep sea. In some species of this group of fish, the organs shine like underwater car headlights. But these finger-sized fish are also one of the most abundant vertebrates on the planet in terms of sheer biomass, on land or sea. How did they evolve to become so successful? New research on components of their ears reveals that the success of lanternfish may have begun when the continent of Antarctica began drifting off on its own, and because of the development of grass on land tens of millions of years ago.... Read more Copyright 2021 American Institute of Physics. Inside Science syndicates its articles, columns, blogs and videos to news organizations. To initiate syndication, or request permission to republish our content (on a one-time or continuing basis), please contact Inside Science at insidescience@aip.org. News organizations seeking permission to republish Inside Science content must fully credit Inside Science as the original source of the content, include the author byline, and republish the original, unaltered form (excluding content titles, headlines, or sub-headlines). The reprint format can be seen here. Copyright conditions and usage terms are subject to change at any time without consent or any type of prior notice. To unsubscribe from all future mailings from Inside Science please click here. To manage your email subscriptions please click here.

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