Barreleye Fish

ID points

• Transparent head dome with two green tubular eyes pointing up
• The real mouth is at the front of the face, not where the eyes are
• Small flattened body with broad fan-shaped fins

Basics

Family

Opisthoproctidae

Length

10–15 cm

Depth

400-2500 m

Regions

Deep sea

Distribution

Deep sea of the North Pacific

Habitat

Deep sea, dark midwater

Diet

Jellyfish, zooplankton

Easily confused with

AnglerfishA rod with a glowing bulb rising from the top of the headBlobfishFlesh soft and less dense than seawater, so it hangs in place by buoyancyFrogfishPectoral fins like hands, used to walk over the bottom

Fun fact

The barreleye fish has a completely transparent head, so the machinery inside is on show. The two green barrels on top are its eyes, and they rotate from looking straight up to looking straight ahead to lock on to prey.