The
larva of a
scaldfish (
Arnoglossus laterna), one of the many species that are considered to be
ichthyoplankton, a blanket term for fish eggs and larvae that cannot swim effectively under their own power, but must drift with the ocean currents. Fish larvae are part of the
zooplankton that eat smaller plankton, while fish eggs carry their own food supply. Both eggs and larvae are themselves eaten by larger animals.
Photo: Hans Hillewaert