Ch-alone - Untitled

Olivia Ponton

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

Maya Angelou

Pacific barreleye fish shows off its highly sensitive, barrel-like eyes - topped by green, orblike lenses. The fish lives in the deep waters (2,000 feet or more) of the Pacific off California’s central coast. The 6-inch (15-centimeter) barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) had been known since 1939 –but only from mangled specimens dragged to the surface by nets. The transparent-headed fish spends much of its time motionless, eyes upward. The green lens atop each of the fish’s eyes filters out what little sunlight makes it down from the surface, allowing the fish to focus on the bioluminescence of small jellies or other prey passing overhead.  Then the eyes rotate forward to follow the prey, allowing the fish to home in on its meal.