DEEP DARK: Hatchetfish ("Hatch")

Size: 4 to 6 inches long, 2 inches wide

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Hatchetfish are shaped like a hatchet,

which looks like a small axe.

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Hatchetfish’s eyes point up, so they

can watch for food from above.

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Lights
Many deep sea creatures carry their own light. The undersea world would be a dark and barren place without the creatures that live there. Hatchetfish can change the color of these lights to hide themselves from larger hungry fish.

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Source: NOAA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Paul H. Yancey, Whitman College

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Original Concept for “Hatch”

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I decided to replace the rows of lights on the real Hatchetfish with three lights and intentionally made these look like small flashlight beams. I wanted the fish to look a little like toys. The eyes in the concept were directed up like the real life Hatchetfish, but having characters looking up while talking to each other didn’t make sense, so I drew the final versions with the eyes directed toward the front.

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“Hatch” from DEEP DARK: A BEDTIME TALE

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