Stylophthalmus (meaning 'stem-eye') was a name used for what was previously believed to be a genus of fish with eyes perched upon periscopic stalks, known in some cases to be almost one third of the length of the animal's actual body.Proujan. C., 1971, Secrets of The Sea, London: Reader's Digest Association Limited, Page 62 It is now recognised that all species in this genus are the fish larvaeWhy are the eyes of larval Black Dragonfish on stalks? - Australian MuseumWoRMS – World Register of Marine Species – Stylophthalmus of already named, distantly related fish in the orders Stomiiformes and Myctophiformes which may have developed this same trait as a result of convergent evolution. Thus, Stylophthalmus is an invalid name.
Species
Stylophthalmus lobiancoi, Mazzarelli, 1909, now recognised as a junior synonym of Myctophum punctatum, Rafinesque, 1810WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Stylophthalmus lobiancoi Mazzarelli, 1909 Stylophthalmus mediterraneus, Mazzarelli, 1810, now recognised as a junior synonym of Symbolophorus veranyi, Moreau, 1888WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Stylophthalmus mediterraneus Mazzarelli, 1909 Stylophthalmus paradoxus, Brauer, 1902, now recognised as a junior synonym of Idiacanthus fasciola, Peters, 1877WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Stylophthalmus paradoxus Brauer, 1902
References