The pinecone fish is another fantastic fish that is named for something else (like the clownfish, catfish, lionfish, dogfish and parrot fish), in this case an object of vegetable matter.

The plump, deep body of the pinecone fish is encased in an armor of heavy, platelike scales which overlap and standout and give the fish a marked resemblance to a pinecone, hence its common name. If it was a little more plump and rotund the resemblance might be closer to a pineapple instead. A very ripe and yellow one that is. There is another slightly larger fish in the same family that already claims the rights to the name “pineapple fish”, so pinecone will have to do. The color of the fish can also be more orange than yellow. The dorsal fin consists of stout spines, which are directed alternately to left and right and do not stand straight up vertical, as with most fishes. It also has large pelvic spines.

Under the lower jaw are two light-producing organs. The light or luminescence from these organs is not generated by luminous cells in the fish as is the case with photophores, light-producing organs possessed by some other fishes, but by the presence of luminous bacteria living symbiotically with the fish.

It lives in the open sea waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, from South Africa to Japan. It really isn’t a very big fish to be living in the open sea at 5 inches (12.5 cm) long. The fish move in schools near to the bottom of the sea. Here they find rocks, caves and sometimes coral reefs where they can dart in and out and play around. It is pretty dark down at the bottom of the sea so the luminescence might come in handy but the fish are comfortable with the darkness. Fans of salt water aquariums do keep these fish in fish tanks, however, they are both expensive and a little bit difficult to care for.