Its most notable features are its subocular bioluminescent organs which it likely uses to attract and find prey, confuse predators, and communicate with other fish.

The eyelight fish is a nocturnal predator, spending the day hidden in caves and crevices in the rock, and emerging at night to search for food.

It is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to an extensive range and lack of threats.

It was later assigned to the genus "Photoblepharon" by German-Dutch zoologist Max Carl Wilhelm Weber in 1902.

Its reflective lateral-line scales are shared by Kryptophaneron and Phthanophaneron, but are enlarged for only Kryptophanaraon and Photoblepharon, indicating that they are a unique trait of the two.

These organs contain bioluminescent bacteria, fed by oxygen and nutrients from the fish's bloodstream,[6] which emit a constant light.

[5] The eyelight fish has a wide range in the western and central Pacific Ocean, from the Philippines in the west to the Society Islands in the east, as well as south to New Caledonia.

Because its nocturnal habits make sightings and collections uncommon, the extent of its range is not fully understood, and likely contains other localities.

[2] The eyelight fish spends the day hidden in caves and crevices and emerges at night to feed, generally in large groups away from the reef.

Use of only a black lid is unique to Photoblepharon; the other members of its family either rotate the organ into a pouch or employ a pouch-and-shutter method.

[2] It has little commercial value, its primary use being as bait for local fisheries, which will cut out the light organs and attach them to hooks.

[13] Previously listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, in 2020 the eyelight fish was updated to Least Concern because of its extensive distribution and lack of major threats.