''Aristostomias'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

barbeled dragonfish Stomiidae is a family (biology), family of deep-sea ray-finned fish, including the barbeled dragonfishes, that live in all oceans in a wide range of depths. They are quite small, usually around 15 cm, up to 26 cm, and they exhibit a st ...

es native to the ocean depths in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

and Indian oceans.

Red Light Bioluminescence

Production of red light bioluminescence

Similar to other deep-sea organisms that are capable of producing red light bioluminescence, including '' Pachystomias'', ''Aristostomias'' has large suborbital photophores that produce red-shifted cold light. In addition, ''Aristostomias'' has postorbital photophores that emit blue-green light.

Visual systems

Most meso- and bathypelagic fish are only able to see shortwave light, as their retinae possess rods with rhodopsins sensitive to blue light. ''Aristostomias'' is able to detect red-shifted light, as their retinae have long-wave absorbing rhodopsins and porphyropsins that can detect wavelengths of up to 590 nm. ''Aristostomias'' can detect red light at distances of up to 2 meters, suggesting that detection is used primarily for close-range intraspecific communication and short-range prey detection.

Species

There are currently six recognized species in this genus: * '' Aristostomias grimaldii'' Zugmayer, 1913 * '' Aristostomias lunifer'' Regan & Trewavas, 1930 * '' Aristostomias polydactylus'' Regan & Trewavas, 1930 * ''

Aristostomias scintillans ''Aristostomias'' is a genus of barbeled dragonfishes native to the ocean depths in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean, Indian oceans. Red Light Bioluminescence Production of red light bioluminescence Similar to other deep-sea organisms ...

'' ( C. H. Gilbert, 1915) (Shiny loosejaw) * '' Aristostomias tittmanni'' W. W. Welsh, 1923 (Loosejaw) * ''

Aristostomias xenostoma ''Aristostomias'' is a genus of barbeled dragonfishes native to the ocean depths in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Red Light Bioluminescence Production of red light bioluminescence Similar to other deep-sea organisms that are cap ...

'' Regan & Trewavas, 1930

References

Stomiidae Marine fish genera Ray-finned fish genera Taxa named by Erich Zugmayer {{Stomiiformes-stub