Black Seadevil Anglerfish Caught On Camera, And It’s As Ugly As Its Name [Video]


Black seadevil anglerfish might sound like an exotic sushi dish, but it’s actually an elusive creature with a horrifying appearance that you won’t forget quickly once you have seen it. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute isn’t complaining about the animal’s unattractive appearance. The institute has captured the first still images and video of a female black seadevil anglerfish alive in its natural habitat, reported CNN, and it’s quite a catch.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the black seadevil anglerfish is best known by the less scary moniker deep-sea anglerfish. It lives lives at a depth of 2,000 feet or greater, using a luminescent orb dangling from above its head to attract prey, which it consumes with its large fang-filled mouth. That’s just how the female of the species feeds. The way that the male members of the species feed sounds even more sinister than luring unwitting prey, typically fish or squid, with a glowing biological fishing lure.

The male black seadevil anglerfish needs a larger female to survive, or death will result. That’s because the smaller males find a mate and then latch on for dear life, sucking nutrients from their female hosts like parasites. They lack the natural fishing pole and lure possessed by the females, and they are much smaller than their female counterparts. The deep-sea anglerfish live in the deep, dark waters of the Monterey Canyon.

There are literally plenty of fish in the sea as the old saying goes, and there’s no telling how many more strange creatures lurk beneath the surface of the water undiscovered and undocumented. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute prepared a video to educate the public about the black seadevil anglerfish. The deep-sea anglerfish seen in the video is just nine centimeters in length. MBARI explained the amazing discovery.

“On Monday, November 17, MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robison was leading an dive using the remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts in Monterey Bay when he came across this amazing deep-sea anglerfish about 580 meters (1,900 feet) below the ocean surface. Robison commented, ‘This is the first time we’ve captured this fish on video in its habitat. Anglerfish, like this Melanocetus, are among the most rarely seen of all deep-sea fishes. The shining spot at the tip of the “fishing pole” projecting from the fish’s head is a glowing lure. The anglerfish uses its light to attract prey in its deep, dark habitat.'”

[Image via CNN]

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