THE FAUNA OF THE DEEP SEA 



I 

 6 



face only at niglit, but other 

 species are found in almost 

 every depth down to 2,000 

 fathoms of water. 



In Opostomias micripius^ a 

 dark black fish living at a 

 depth of over 2,000 fathoms, 

 there are two rows of ocellar 

 organs running down the sides 

 of the body from the head to 

 the tail. In the living animal 

 they are said to shine with a 

 reddish lustre. In addition 

 to these, the conspicuous or- 

 gans, there are groups of fifty, 

 a hundred, or even more very 

 much smaller organs situated 

 on the sides and back of the 

 fish, each of which is lenticular 

 in shape and consists of a 

 number of short polygonal 

 tubes containing a granular 

 substance with rounded bases 

 resting on the subjacent tissue. 

 The w^hole organ is covered 



