Anglerfish - Lophius piscatorius
Anglerfish are the members of
the order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their
characteristic mode of predation, wherein a fleshy growth from the
fish's head (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure; this is considered
analogous to angling.
Some anglerfish are pelagic
(live in the open water), while others are benthic (bottom-dwelling).
Some live in the deep sea (e.g. Ceratiidae) and others on the
continental shelf (e.g. the frogfishes Antennariidae and the
monkfish/goosefish Lophiidae). They occur worldwide. Pelagic forms are
most laterally (sideways) compressed whereas the benthic forms are often
extremely dorsoventrally compressed (depressed) often with large upward
pointing mouths.
The angry-looking deep sea
anglerfish has a right to be cranky. It is quite possibly the ugliest
animal on the planet, and it lives in what is easily Earth's most
inhospitable habitat: the lonely, lightless bottom of the sea.
There are more than 200 species
of anglerfish, most of which live in the murky depths of the Atlantic
and Antarctic oceans, up to a mile below the surface, although some live
in shallow, tropical environments. Generally dark gray to dark brown in
color, they have huge heads and enormous crescent-shaped mouths filled
with sharp, translucent teeth. Some angler fish can be quite large,
reaching 3.3 feet (1 meter) in length. Most however are significantly
smaller, often less than a foot.
Their most distinctive feature,
worn only by females, is a piece of dorsal spine that protrudes above
their mouths like a fishing pole—hence their name. Tipped with a lure of
luminous flesh this built-in rod baits prey close enough to be
snatched. Their mouths are so big and their bodies so pliable, they can
actually swallow prey up to twice their own size.
The male, which is significantly
smaller than the female, has no need for such an adaptation. In lieu of
continually seeking the vast abyss for a female, it has evolved into a
permanent parasitic mate. When a young, free-swimming male angler
encounters a female, he latches onto her with his sharp teeth. Over
time, the male physically fuses with the female, connecting to her skin
and bloodstream and losing his eyes and all his internal organs except
the testes. A female will carry six or more males on her body.
Fast Facts about Anglerfish
Type: Fish
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 8 in (20 cm) up to 3.3 ft (1 m)
Weight: Up to 110 lbs (50 kg)
Group name: School
Did you know?: The anglerfish's lighted lure glows with the help of millions of bioluminescent bacteria.
Courtesy : http://animals.nationalgeographic.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglerfish
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