Lanternfish (family Myctophidae) are small, bioluminescent deep-sea fish that play a crucial role in oceanic food webs, serving as a major food source for larger fish, squid, and marine mammals. Despite their abundance—estimated to be among the most numerous vertebrates on Earth—commercial fishing of lanternfish is still relatively limited due to the challenges of deep-sea harvesting and their small size. However, countries such as Norway, Japan, and Russia have developed specialized fisheries targeting lanternfish, primarily for use as fishmeal and animal feed rather than direct human consumption. These nations utilize advanced trawling techniques in the open ocean, particularly in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, to harvest lanternfish, capitalizing on their dense, vertically migrating schools. The lanternfish fishery remains a niche industry but is of growing interest due to the species’ vast biomass and potential for supporting aquaculture and other industries.
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Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.