A Pacific fish uses mirrors to help it see into the murky depths of the ocean. It is called a spectrum fish , and it would be the first vertebrate to use this mechanism instead of lenses to project light into its eyes, considered the strangest in nature.
The species Dolichopteryx longipes has been known for 120 years, but no man had seen it until last year when it was captured in Tonga , near New Zealand, by scientists at the University of Tuerbingen (Germany).
Studying his anatomy it has been possible to find out that his apparent four eyes are actually two that are divided and connected. One of the halves focuses upward and captures light from the surface of the sea , about 1,000 meters above its habitat. The other half, which looks like a bump on the side of the head, projects that light downward . "This should give you a great advantage in the deep ocean, where even a dim light can make the difference between eating and being eaten," concludes Professor Julian Partridge of the University of Bristol, who has published his findings in the journal. Current Biology .
