Anglerfish
- Common Name:
- Anglerfish
- Scientific Name:
- Lophiiformes
- Type:
- Fish
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Group Name:
- School
- Size:
- 8 to 40 inches
- Weight:
- Up to 110 pounds
What are anglerfish?
The angry-looking deep sea anglerfish has a right to be cranky. It is quite possibly the ugliest animal on the planet, and it lives in what is easily Earth's most inhospitable habitat: the lonely, lightless bottom of the sea.
Anglerfish population
There are more than 200 species of anglerfish—including the black seadevil anglerfish, which rarely comes to the ocean surface but always attracts loads of attention when it does with its ferocious-looking fangs.
(Read more about how scientists captured rare footage of a black seadevil.)
Most of anglerfish live in the murky depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans, up to a mile below the surface, although some live in shallow, tropical environments. Generally dark gray to dark brown in color, they have large heads and enormous crescent-shaped mouths filled with sharp, translucent teeth. Some anglerfish can be quite large, reaching between 3.3 feet to 4 feet in length. Most however are significantly smaller, often less than a foot.
Anglerfish lure
Their most distinctive feature is a piece of dorsal spine that protrudes above their mouths like a fishing pole—hence their name. Worn only by females, this dorsal spine is tipped with a lure of luminous flesh this built-in rod baits prey close enough to be snatched. Their mouths are so big and their bodies so pliable, they can actually swallow prey up to twice their own size.
Male vs. female anglerfish
Male anglerfish, which are significantly smaller than female anglers, have no need for such an adaptation. In lieu of continually seeking the vast abyss for a female, it has evolved into a permanent parasitic mate. When a young, free-swimming male angler encounters a female, he latches onto her with his sharp teeth. Over time, the male physically fuses with the female, connecting to her skin and bloodstream and losing his eyes and all his internal organs except the testes. A female will carry six or more males on her body.