The jewel lanternfish has a dual distribution. It is found throughout the north
Atlantic Ocean, as far north as Ungava Bay, as well as in the Mediterranean. It
is the most common fish in the family in the north Atlantic. This elongate fish
has a large mouth, tall dorsal and anal fins and a wide notch in its caudal fin.
Its body has many light-producing organs, or photophores, perhaps the source of
its common name. These structures are scale-like in appearance and are found in
both sexes on the belly, near the base of the tail as well as around the pectoral
fins and on the cheeks. Thirty-eight or thirty-nine photophores occur along the
lateral line. For lanternfish, this species grows quite large, up to 30 cm. Like
other lanternfishes, this is a deep-sea fish that inhabits depths between 300
and 1000 m.
