hinge and a modified tongue bone. There are several large, fang-like teeth in the front of the jaws, followed by many small barbed teeth. There are several groups of pharyngeal teeth that serve to direct food down the esophagus. The pectoral and pelvic fins are moderately long, containing 3-4 and 6 fin rays respectively. The dorsal and anal fins are placed far back on the body and contain 18-20 and 19-22 rays respectively. The caudal fin is small, with the lower lobe larger than the upper. There are three bioluminescent photophores near the eyes: beneath the eye is a large, teardrop-shaped suborbital photophore that emits red light. Behind it is an ovoid postorbital photophore that emits green light; this photophore is larger in males than females. These red and green photophores are evocative of traffic lights, hence the fish's common name. The third is tiny and round, located between the eye and the large red photophore. Several rows and clusters of blue photophores are present on the sides and belly. In addition, there are small photophores and accessory areas of white luminous tissue scattered over the head and body. The skin is thin and scaleless; the coloration is black. Biology and ecology As long wavelengths of light (i.e. red) do not reach the deep sea from the surface, many deep-sea organisms are insensitive to red wavelengths, and so to these creatures, red-colored objects appear black. The red photophore of Malacosteus thus allows it to illuminate prey without being detected. These fishes exhibit a number of adaptations for feeding on large prey. The "open" structure of its jaws grants the fish the ability to swing its entire head forward like an arm to grab food in addition to reducing water resistance, allowing them to be snapped shut more quickly, while large recurved teeth and powerful jaw muscles assure a secure hold on prey items. The connection between the head and the body is reduced, with unossified vertebrae, allowing the cranium to be tilted back and the jaws thrust forward for a wider gape. Finally, the gills are exposed to the outside, allowing the fish to continue respiring while slowly swallowing large prey. However, contrary to its apparent morphological specialization, the diet of Malacosteus consists primarily of zooplankton, chiefly large calanoid copepods, with smaller numbers of krill, shrimps, and fishes. It is yet unclear how Malacosteus captures such small planktonic prey given