ABSTRACT
Species in this family of small, unusual fishes possess a large light organ below the eye where a culture of luminous bacteria reside and with a shutter mechanism to control light emission (Nelson 1994). One species occurs in our area, Kryptophanaron alfredi, while an additional 4 genera and 5 species occur in the Indo-Pacific (Nelson 1994). Adult K. alfredi have been observed and collected by SCUBA divers at night at depths ranging from 27 to 76 m while feeding and possibly spawning along the crest of vertical or steeply sloping reef walls of Caribbean islands (Colin et al. 1979). These authors speculated that K. alfredi spends daytime hours at greater depths beyond the range of SCUBA divers and over habitat unsuitable for trawling. Baldwin & Johnson (1995) described a larva of K. alfredi together with a discussion of beryciform and stephanoberyciform larvae. They characterize the K. alfredi larva as having an elongate, heavily pigmented pelvic fin; a patch of pigment on and between the anteriormost dorsalfin spines; numerous melanophores covering the head and trunk but conspicuously absent on the caudal peduncle; prominent head spines and spiny scales. The larva lacks light organs, but an antrorse projection on each side of the snout represents at least a stalk of an incipient light organ (Figure Anomalopidae 1). Colin (1989) fertilized eggs from two Pacific genera and illustrated early larvae. He noted that the eggs were 1.0-1.3 mm in diameter with a mucous sheath. The newly hatched larvae were slender, well pigmented and had precocious pelvic fins.
