1/23/24, 2:34 PM Anglerfish | National Geographic

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Looking like something out of a science fiction movie, the anglerfish uses a natural lure to draw
its next meal nearer.
P H OTO G R A P H BY N O R B E RT W U, M I N D E N P I C T U R E S / N AT G E O I M AG E
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ANIMALS REFERENCE

Anglerfish

COMMON NAME: Anglerfish

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lophiiformes

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TYPE: Fish

D I E T: Carnivore

GROUP NAME: School

SIZE: 8 to 40 inches

W E I G H T: Up to 110 pounds

S I Z E R E L AT I V E T O A T E AC U P :

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.

Population
There are more than 200 species of anglerfish, most of which 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 huge heads and enormous
crescent-shaped mouths filled with sharp, translucent teeth. Some angler
fish can be quite large, reaching 3.3 feet in length. Most however are
significantly smaller, often less than a foot.

Anglerfish Lure
Their most distinctive feature, worn only by females, is a piece of dorsal
spine that protrudes above their mouths like a fishing pole—hence their
name. 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.

Males vs. Females

The male, which is significantly smaller than the female, has 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.

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2:55

WAT C H : T H E W E I R D K I L L E R O F T H E D E E P
The anglerfish uses a shiny lure to bring prey within range of its sharp teeth. But it also has a
weirdly clingy side - after finding a female, the male black devil angler latches on and never lets
go!

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