Anglerfish
Fast Facts
No other fish is quite as ugly and scary looking as the anglerfish. They dwell in the dark bottom of the sea. Their size is a bit out of proportion because of their giant heads. Some anglerfish are so large, they can weigh up to 110 pounds. Their mouths are crescent shaped and filled with extremely sharp teeth that are nearly see-through. Some are quite big, reaching lengths of over 3 feet. Most, however, are at a length of less than 12 inches. There are more than 200 species of anglerfish. They mostly live in the dark depths a mile below the surface of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans.
Female anglerfish have a special spiny ray hanging above their mouths like a fishing pole. It moves this ray back and forth while the rest of its body stays completely still. The tip of the ray lights up and is way for the fish to draw in prey. The light is supplied by millions of light-producing bacteria. The light is possible through a chemical process called bioluminescence. The light is blue-green in color, similar to the light given off by a firefly on land.
Its skin has adapted to reflect blue light. Light submitted by all other bioluminescent creatures is blue so this allows the angler to be invisible to other deep sea creatures. Their mouths are so big, they can swallow prey twice their size. Its stomach can swell in size too. Since food is scarce in the deep sea, this allows the anglerfish to stock up on food when much is available.
Fast Facts
- Carnivore (meat eater)
- Size: 8 inches up to over 3 feet
- Weight: up to 110 pounds
- Did you know? The anglerfish's lighted lure glows with the help of millions of bioluminescent bacteria.
No other fish is quite as ugly and scary looking as the anglerfish. They dwell in the dark bottom of the sea. Their size is a bit out of proportion because of their giant heads. Some anglerfish are so large, they can weigh up to 110 pounds. Their mouths are crescent shaped and filled with extremely sharp teeth that are nearly see-through. Some are quite big, reaching lengths of over 3 feet. Most, however, are at a length of less than 12 inches. There are more than 200 species of anglerfish. They mostly live in the dark depths a mile below the surface of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans.
Female anglerfish have a special spiny ray hanging above their mouths like a fishing pole. It moves this ray back and forth while the rest of its body stays completely still. The tip of the ray lights up and is way for the fish to draw in prey. The light is supplied by millions of light-producing bacteria. The light is possible through a chemical process called bioluminescence. The light is blue-green in color, similar to the light given off by a firefly on land.
Its skin has adapted to reflect blue light. Light submitted by all other bioluminescent creatures is blue so this allows the angler to be invisible to other deep sea creatures. Their mouths are so big, they can swallow prey twice their size. Its stomach can swell in size too. Since food is scarce in the deep sea, this allows the anglerfish to stock up on food when much is available.
Sources:
Idyll, C. P. "Anglerfish." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
"Anglerfish." National Geographic. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/anglerfish/
"Deep Sea Anglerfish." Monterey Bay Aquarium. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/deep-sea-anglerfish
Idyll, C. P. "Anglerfish." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
"Anglerfish." National Geographic. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/anglerfish/
"Deep Sea Anglerfish." Monterey Bay Aquarium. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/deep-sea-anglerfish