Pacific Lookdown: The Mirror With a Face

Few fish look as strange and striking as the lookdown — a thin, mirror-bright fish with a steep forehead that really does seem to be looking down its nose. Here's how to spot one near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Pacific Lookdown · Selene brevoortii

How to spot the pacific lookdown near Jacó

Look for an extremely thin, silvery fish that almost disappears when it turns side-on, then flashes like a mirror when it catches the light. Lookdowns often drift in small groups near structure, their tall, flat bodies and sloping faces unmistakable once you've seen one.

5 fun facts about the pacific lookdown

• Named for that sloping face. The steep forehead and low-set mouth give the impression the fish is always looking down.
• A living mirror. Its skin scatters light so well it can nearly vanish in open water — a natural camouflage trick scientists have actually studied.
• Paper-thin. Seen head-on, a lookdown almost disappears; its body is remarkably flat and narrow.
• An Eastern Pacific native. Selene brevoortii, the Pacific lookdown, ranges along the coast from Mexico to South America.
• Young ones trail long fins. Juveniles have long, streamer-like fin filaments that shorten as they grow.

The pacific lookdown is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.