Malayalam name of Myctophids is "Mata"

Myctophids are called “Mata” in Kerala. Name is derived from the latin word Marisela – “from the sea” and Asta – “bright as a star”. Myctophids or lantern fishes are among the most abundant group of mesopelagic fishes in the World oceans. Myctophids are also known as lantern fishes after their conspicuous use of bioluminescence or light producing cells. In Kerala, the local name of myctophids were not uniform everywhere. Considering its unique characteristics, the name "Mata" seems to be well suited.