Angler Fish
(Lophius piscatorius)
The deep sea Angler Fish is a bony fish found in the deepest parts of every ocean. The deep sea Angler Fish has a round body with a large mouth containing fang-like teeth. The deep sea Angler Fish’s skin varies from brown to dark gray. Its skin is specially adapted to reflect blue light. Since nearly all light emitted from bioluminescent creatures is blue, the Angler Fish can be nearly invisible to other deep sea animals.
The deep sea Angler Fish is known for its "fishing rod" growing from female Angler Fish’s snout ends in a glowing lure of light. The lure is a small organ that contains millions of light-producing bacteria. The Angler Fish have been found to remain completely motionless, while waving its lure back and forth like a fishing pole. When the prey gets close enough, the angler engulfs the prey with its powerful jaws and swallows it whole. The Angler Fish can extend both its jaw and its stomach to an amazing size, allowing it to swallow prey twice the size of its entire body.
Deep sea Angler Fish are not eaten by people, and so far there isn’t any evidence to suggest that people have had any negative effects on their overall populations. However, changes in the deep-sea environment from overfishing, ocean acidification, and climate change could impact the Deep Sea Angler Fish in the future.
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