I’ll tell you today about one creepy but charming inhabitant of the depths of the sea - deep sea anglerfish . When you mention this creature, you immediately remember a scene from the cartoon about Nemo the fish.
This picture is not far from the truth :)
Deep sea anglerfish or ceratiform (lat. Ceratioidei) - suborder deep sea fish from the order of anglerfish, whose representatives live on great depths World ocean.
Deep-sea anglerfish constantly live at a depth of about 1500 - 3000 m. They are characterized by a spherical, laterally flattened shape and the presence of a “fishing rod” in females. Their bare skin is black or dark brown; in some species, the skin may be covered with transformed scales - spines and plaques.
Traditionally, deep-sea fish are thought to have bloated bodies with bulging eyes and ugly shapes, but this is not true. Deep-sea fish take on the appearance of bloated bodies when they are lifted to the surface in fishing nets due to excess internal pressure, which at depths of 1500-3000 meters is 150-300 atmospheres.
Anglerfish are characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are much larger than males and are predators. They have a large mouth, powerful teeth and a highly stretchable stomach. The first ray of the dorsal fin of females is transformed into a “fishing rod” (illicium) with a luminous “bait” (esca) at the end. But sexual dimorphism is most pronounced in size. The length of females varies from 5 cm to 1 m, the length of males - from 16 mm to 4 cm.
Illicium in females various types varies in shape and size and is equipped with various skin appendages. In some species, the illicium is capable of extending and retracting into a special canal on the back. Luring in prey, the anglerfish gradually moves the luminous bait towards its mouth until it swallows its prey.
The luminous organ is a gland filled with mucus containing bioluminescent bacteria. Thanks to the expansion of the walls of the arteries that supply the gland with blood, the fish can arbitrarily cause the glow of bacteria, which require an influx of oxygen for this, or stop it, narrowing the vessels. Typically, the glow occurs in the form of a series of successive flashes, individual for each species. The bottom-dwelling Galateatauma, which lives at a depth of about 3600 m, has a luminous bait in its mouth. Unlike other deep-sea anglerfish, it apparently hunts while lying on the bottom.
Adult female anglerfish feed on deep-sea fish, crustaceans and, less commonly, cephalopods; males - copepods and bristlejaws. The stomach of females is capable of very strong stretching, thanks to which they can swallow prey that is often larger than them. The gluttony of anglers sometimes leads to their own death. They found dead anglers with swallowed fish that were more than twice their size. Having captured such large prey, the anglerfish cannot release it due to the peculiar structure of its teeth and chokes.
Good night and good dreams everyone! :)
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Let's start with the fact that anglers spend their entire “conscious” lives at a depth of about 3000 meters, and the path to sunlight is closed there. Due to this, they have black or dark brown skin, so they are not visible there at all.
Their appearance can frighten any impressionable person. Such deep-sea fish are characterized by a spherical body shape, most of which is occupied by the head. In addition to this, it has a huge mouth with terrifying razor-sharp teeth. Females are especially terrible.
The size of females can reach 1 meter, and males have a length of no more than 4 cm. Sometimes the difference in size can be incredible. Thus, on one female 119 cm long and weighing 7 kg, 3 males were found, each measuring 16-20 mm and weighing 14-22 mg. How they ended up on it, you will find out a little below.
Anglerfish are distinguished by pronounced sexual dimorphism, i.e. females are many times larger than males and are predators. While males lead a modest lifestyle and feed on tiny crustaceans, zooplankton and other small things, females hunt big.
These fish are very voracious. Their stomach can stretch to incredible sizes. So the female can swallow a prey many times larger than herself. As a result of such greed, she dies, since she cannot release it due to the peculiar structure of her teeth.
This fish got its name thanks to the “fishing rod with bait,” which is a process on the head of females. Scientists call it illicium. It was formed from the first ray of the fish's dorsal fin. And it is different for each species. For example, in Ceratias holboelli the process extends and retracts. This predator throws its bait further away and with small jerks lures the future meal directly into its mouth. And then the fish just has to open it more and close it in time.
At the tip of this process there is a small pouch that glows in the dark. It is filled with mucus containing bioluminescent bacteria. By regulating the flow of blood and oxygen to the sac, the fish controls the brightness of the “light bulb”. In some species it is located directly in the mouth. This eliminates the need to “fish with a rod.” The prey itself swims into the predator's mouth.
At the bottom of the most deep seas and oceans, where the water is icy, the pressure reaches colossal values, and the amount of food is minimal, deep-sea angler fish (lat. Ceratioidei). Their entire existence is a vivid example of how living organisms can adapt to even the most severe and unfavorable conditions life.
Deep-sea anglerfish are one of the most amazing marine inhabitants, living at a depth of one and a half to three kilometers. Business card of these fish is a modified ray of the dorsal fin, which acts as bait and is shaped like a fisherman’s fishing rod. It is precisely this feature of their appearance that angler fish owe their name.
Theodore W. Pietsch
At the end of a fishing rod (illicia), hanging over a huge mouth with sharp needle-shaped teeth, there is a small skin outgrowth (esca), filled with millions of luminous bacteria. It is to its light, like moths to a flame, that other, small and not so small, inhabitants of the ocean floor float. To enhance the effect produced by the fish, the anglerfish is able to control the brightness and frequency of the flashes. To do this, it is enough for him to narrow or expand the blood vessels, regulating the amount of oxygen entering the escus, which “ignites” or, conversely, “extinguishes” the luminous bacteria.
U different types For anglers, the principle of operation and design of fishing rods can vary - from the simplest, hanging over the head, to more complex ones, capable of extending out of the channel on the back and retracting back, bringing the future victim directly into the mouth.
Anglerfish, living at the greatest depths (more than 3,500 meters), prefer not to waste energy and hunt while lying on the bottom, and for greater convenience, fishing rods are located directly in their huge toothy mouth. Thanks to their dark coloration and rough, warty skin, the deep-sea predators are almost invisible on the seabed.
Anglerfish are so voracious that they are ready to eat everything that fits into their toothy mouth. But the problem is that their mouth is much larger than their esophagus, and these fish are unable to swallow prey three times their size. It will also not be possible to spit out a large prey back - the teeth get in the way, and very often such attempts to swallow overwhelming prey become the last, unsuccessful, meal in the life of an angler.
However, the most amazing quality of anglerfish is the way they reproduce. Males whose size is tens of times smaller sizes females voluntarily go to the extent of transforming from full-fledged individuals into primitive appendages that produce sperm.
Justin Marshall/AFP - Getty Images
The female is capable of carrying up to six males, always and everywhere providing herself with a constant supply of sperm, freeing her from the need to regularly search for partners.
What kind of creatures have not appeared on Earth as a result of natural selection. In harsh conditions, at great depths, where the water is icy, the pressure reaches colossal values, and the amount of food is minimal, deep-sea angler fish (lat. Ceratioidei) live.
They live at a depth of one and a half to three kilometers. The peculiarity of these fish is a modified ray of the dorsal fin, which acts as a bait and is shaped like a fisherman’s fishing rod (in fact, for this reason they are nicknamed anglers).
At the end of a fishing rod (illicia), hanging over a huge mouth with sharp needle-shaped teeth, there is a small skin outgrowth (esca), filled with millions of luminous bacteria. It is to its light, like moths to a flame, that other, small and not so small, inhabitants of the ocean floor float. To enhance the effect produced by the fish, the anglerfish is able to control the brightness and frequency of the flashes. To do this, it is enough for him to narrow or expand the blood vessels, regulating the amount of oxygen entering the escus, which “ignites” or, conversely, “extinguishes” the luminous bacteria.
For different types of anglers, the principle of operation and the design of fishing rods may vary - from the simplest, hanging over the head, to more complex ones, capable of extending out of the channel on the back and retracting back, bringing the future victim directly into the mouth.
Amazing, isn't it? However, this is not the most unusual thing about these fish. The method of reproduction of some species of anglerfish is amazing.
Males, whose sizes are tens of times smaller than the size of females, voluntarily agree to transform from full-fledged individuals into primitive appendages that produce sperm.
The female is capable of carrying up to six males, always and everywhere providing herself with a constant supply of sperm, freeing her from the need to regularly search for partners.
Monkfish fish is another interesting representative of the underwater fauna of our planet.
They say that the devil is a fictional character... But no! IN sea waters, among the dark depths lives a creature whose appearance is so terrible and ugly that, other than monkfish, scientists have not come up with a name for it!
It is worth saying that in the aquatic fauna there is another monkfish - the mollusk, but now we will talk specifically about the representative of ray-finned fish. Scientists attribute this sea creature to the order Anglerfishes, which includes the family Angleridae and the genus Anglerfish.
Currently, there are two species of monkfish on earth - European and American. Let's look at the photo of the monkfish and take a closer look at its appearance...
Anglerfish appearance
The first thing worth noting about the appearance of this unsightly fish is the “fishing rod”. This is a growth on the head of a monkfish that really looks a lot like a fishing rod. With this device, the fish lures its prey, as if “catching” it. That’s why they gave these fish the name – anglerfish.
The body length of the monkfish is about 2 meters, and the animal weighs almost 20 kilograms. The body has a slightly flattened shape. In general, the anglerfish is not a very pleasant-looking fish. It is all covered with some kind of leathery growths that look similar to driftwood and algae. The head is disproportionately large, the monkfish's mouth and mouth are huge and unpleasant.
The skin color is brown, on the abdominal part of the body it is lighter, almost white.
Where does monkfish live?
The habitat of this fish is considered to be Atlantic Ocean. The anglerfish is found off the coast of Europe, off the coast of Iceland. In addition, monkfish have been found in the waters of the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, North Sea and Barents Sea.
The lifestyle and behavior of monkfish in nature
The depth at which these fish usually live is from 50 to 200 meters. Most often they are found at the very bottom, because there is nothing more pleasant for monkfish than just lying quietly on sand or silt. But it is only at first glance that the angler fish is idle. In fact, this is one of the ways of hunting. The animal freezes, waiting for its prey. And when it swims by, it grabs it and eats it.
The anglerfish also knows how to hunt in another way - with the help of its fins it jumps along the bottom and thus overtakes its prey.
What do sea devils eat?
Mainly, other, usually smaller, fish serve as food for these fish. The monkfish menu consists of Katrans, Silversides, Kalkans, Stingrays and others.
The gadget on the head in the form of a luminous fishing rod attracts small fish and brings them straight... into the mouth of the angler. How do angler fish reproduce?
When do these fish start mating season, they descend to depths of up to 2000 meters to lay eggs there. One female monkfish is capable of laying a clutch of about three million eggs. The entire accumulation of eggs forms a wide ten-meter ribbon, which is divided into hexagonal cells.
After a certain period of time, these honeycomb-shaped cells are destroyed. Freeing the eggs, which in turn float freely, being carried by the underwater current.
After a few days, small larvae are born from the eggs, which, after 4 months, become anglerfish fry. After the fry grow up to 6 centimeters in length, they sink to the bottom in shallow water.
Enemies of monkfish
This area of monkfish life has so far been little studied.
Is the anglerfish a danger to people?
In fact, monkfish do not have the habit of attacking humans. But if you accidentally stab your foot on an anglerfish spike, you can get hurt. In addition, the monkfish does not like “intrusive visitors” and can show all the sharpness of its teeth to those who are very zealously trying to get to know it!