On the radar and on trend right now is the black seadevil anglerfish, which was recently discovered 2 kilometers off the coast of Tenerife and in daylight for the first time.
This article is a review of how it all went down and what the researchers discovered during their shark research campaign for the NGO Condrik.
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What Did the Black Seadevil Anglerfish Look Like?
The black seadevil anglerfish that was spotted was just like any regular one and matched the description of the regular ones that we know.
Just like the regular black seadevil anglerfish, this one had the following bodily features:
- It had a large head, of course.
- It had a scaleless and gelatinous body.
- The scales were hollow, conical, and translucent.
- It had large, sharp, fang-like teeth that lined its jaws (meaning it was a female).
- It was black in color.
- It had an illicium and esca.
- The illicium is the detached and modified first three spines of the anterior dorsal fin that extend from the top of the fish’s head.
- The esca is the fleshy enlargement at the tip of the illicium used to lure prey within range of capture.
- It had small eyes like any regular black seadevil anglerfish.
- Its pupils were larger than its lens.
- It reached a length of about 18 cm.
- Its fins were rounded with slightly incised membranes.
- The pectoral fins were small.
- The single dorsal fin was positioned far back from the head and was larger than and above the retrorse anal fin.
- Its ventral region had a fleshy appearance.
- Its skin was very soft.
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Description From the Scientists Who Found the Rare Black Seadevil Anglerfish
Although there have been sightings of the black seadevil anglerfish, this particular one broke the record as this fish was seen in broad daylight very close to the shore for the first time.
The researchers who discovered this rare creature were working on a shark research campaign for the NGO Condrik and were startled and, at the same time, amazed to come across this wonder.
The adult anglerfish was found near the surface and in broad daylight (for the first time). What makes this weird? Well, these fish are usually found at depths of about 200 to 2,000 meters, so finding one this close was mysterious.
The underwater photographer who spotted this fish found it 2 kilometers off the coast of Tenerife.
Many would say that this is normal; however, if it were so, wouldn’t it be a normal occurrence?
The fish did not live for long though, as it passed away a few minutes after it was discovered. The researchers who discovered the fish took it to the Museum of Nature and Archaeology (MUNA) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for further study.
Read also: What Are the Best Exotic Fish for Home Aquariums?
Conclusion
Although researchers have not been able to determine why this fish showed up near the surface, most of them believe that it rose up due to the El Niño weather event when there was a reduction in the amount of cold water upwelled off the coast of North America.
This fish’s discovery sparked excitement from marine biologists around the world and has been on the trend for some time now.
In the past, there have been sightings of the deep sea anglerfish, but they are either the larvae or found underneath the water in webcam videos. Thank you for reading!
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