All right folks, I have an exciting line up of Wild Facts for you this week. Each day this week will be a fact about bizarre and interesting animals on this planet. You may have heard of some of these animals but they are not common. So make sure you check out Wild Facts each day this week to get the scoop on some very unusual animals.
I wanted to start the week off strong so I am going to give you the down low on an animal that has a transparent head. I told you this was going to be an unusual week! The barreleye fish is a deep sea fish that is usually under 20 cm long (although some species can be larger). They live in the deep ocean depths where the sunlight can’t reach. This type of environment often causes some unique adaptations.
Obviously, a transparent head can be deemed as an unique adaptation. So what is the purpose of having a transparent head? Come on, it is awesome, isn’t that enough for you?? Well, I failed to mention another interesting adaptation that the barreleye fish has and as the name suggests it has to do with their eyes. You see, the barreleye fish has tubular eyes that protrude from their skull but are enclosed in their transparent dome. These type of eyes are very good at collecting any little bit of light that may be finding its way to the deep ocean depths. The eyes of the barreleye fish generally look up so they are able to detect slight movements in their prey directly above them. For awhile, scientists believed that the eyes could only look up but recent studies have indicated that the barreleye fish is able to direct their unique eyes forward to see what they are eating. These astonishing adaptations just go to show how incredible evolution can be and that there are no limits to an animals survival in this harsh world.
Make sure you check out the video post below to see more on the barreleye fish.
Before you go to the video, I want you to look at the picture above again. Notice the large green things in the head. Well that is the barrelfish eyes (acutally, it is their lens but for our purposes it is the same). The typcial eyes on the front of the face are actually the nostrils of the barreleye fish. Pretty cool, eh?
For more information, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute located at http://www.mbari.org/
References:
B. H. Robison and K. R. Reisenbichler. Macropinna microstoma and the paradox of its tubular eyes. Copeia. 2008, No. 4, December 18, 2008
Cool! I kind of wish I had a transparent head now!
Thanks for stopping by Daisy. If you had a transparent head, your mom would always be able to tell what you are thinking. Besides, you are a great looking cat that doesn’t need a see thru head. What a interesting thought though. Imagine what other animals would look like with a transparent head. Could you imaging a transparent head on a polar bear or an elephant. How about a lion. This would be so cool!
Thanks for visiting Wild Facts! Have a great day!
That is one of the trippiest things I’ve ever seen – I kept staring at it b/c I was convinced the nostrils were eyes LOL
fun post Nathan! Looking forward to this week’s reads!
I know what you mean SJ! They look like eyes but they provide the smell to the little guy.
I think it is a great animal though. I love how different animals can be depending on their surroundings!
I would imagine the dome on its head keeps debris in the water from getting into their eyes as well. Awesome. The video was great too.
You are absolutely right! The dome does protect the sensitive eyes! In that video, I think they compared it to the protective covering in a fighter jet cockpit. The clear dome has so many purposes!
Wow, this fish is so weird looking. My first impression was Casper, definitely.The ocean amazes me. There are so many wonders below that I can not even grasp. To think of a world so closed off from our terrestrial reality seems peaceful. Water covers the majority of our planet, the evolution of life forms beneath the waves is phenomenal. If a fish has the capability to adapt to such severe conditions, it makes me think humans can too. We are continually changing and evolving too.
Hi Ashley!
Thanks for posting such a great comment! Casper the barreleye fish! I think that works. Maybe it will be a sequel!
I am with you on the whole underwater world. It blows my mind to try and understand all of the unique adaptations they have been evolved down there. It just makes me wonder what this world will look like in the future. The world is constantly changing and species need to evolve in order to survive. It would be great to be around in thousands of years to see what evolution brings.
Thanks for visiting Wild Facts!
Where are the eyes i cant see them how big are they?????????????????????
wright back as soon as possible please
Hi Alysha,
The eyes of the barreleye fish are located inside their head. In the picture you can see two green things by their forehead… that just happens to be their eyes!