[5] It has a plump, rounded body almost completely covered in large, rough scales with sharp, backward-pointing spines.

The head is large, with mucous pits bordered by rough ridges, and is armored with heavy bone.

[3][5] The scales of the pineapplefish are yellow to whitish with black rear margins, forming the striking pattern that gives this fish its name.

[9] At night, this species ventures out onto sandy flats to feed, using its light organs to illuminate small shrimp.

[8] The light of the pineapplefish is produced by symbiotic colonies of the bacteria Vibrio fischeri within its photophores.

[10] V. fischeri are also found free-living in sea water and are naturally released from the pineapplefish's photophores.

[9] The pineapplefish is moderately common in deep water, but due to its retiring nature, for some time after its initial discovery it was only known from specimens tossed ashore by storms.