A Look at Weird Anglerfish and Their Various ‘Fishing Poles’ - Nerdist

While the deep sea is dark and full of things that look like they come from the Andromeda galaxy, a few creatures stand out as especially weird. Anglerfish are chief amongst those crème de la oddballs, in part because of their distinctive faces. And, of course, their haunting use of bioluminescent lures that hang off their heads. The lures are long or short, depending on the species.

In the video above, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) shows the various types of "fishing poles" that project from anglerfish heads. For those unfamiliar, anglerfish are bony fish that reside in the "midnight zone" of the ocean. The fish—as their name implies—are most notable for their head poles; anatomical features that take on different forms depending on which one of the 200 species you're looking at.

MBARI shows how the "couch potatoes" of the sea use their lures to capture foolish prey in the darkness. They hunt down snails, crustaceans, and smaller fish at anywhere between 1,000 and 8,200 feet below the ocean's surface. (For reference, light doesn't penetrate the ocean at all beyond approximately 3,300 feet.) In short, this species of fish actually fishes for other fish.

A deep-sea angler fish with its big old mouth wide open, ready to eat.

MBARI

As the Institute says, each species of anglerfish has its own type of unique lure. For example, some of the fish have short and sturdy rods, while others have long and threadlike ones, like these two anglerfish divers caught mating back in 2018. MBARI also notes some anglerfish fishing poles have large and round bioluminescent "bait," while others have bait that's branched and feathery.

A deep-sea angler fish with its big old mouth wide open, ready to eat.

MBARI

Unfortunately, MBARI doesn't show any anglerfish actually hunting prey with their glowing death traps. Although, in truth, capturing that footage would be nearly impossible. You can't have darkness if a submarine's lights are shining, and you can't see what's happening in total darkness. Speaking of which, almost nothing good is happening down there. Really.

Adblock test (Why?)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu...
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year...
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re...
Read more