About Anglerfish: Nature’s Fishing Masters
The deep-sea anglerfish inhabits would of the darkest, most oppressive and dangerous environments on Earth. In a place where most submarines would be crushed due to the pressure, these fish thrive. One of nature’s strangest animals, this highly adaptive fish has one of the most unusual of appearances. Long before people ever held a fishing rod this fish had mastered the act of fishing.
Anglerfish can be up to one metre (three feet) in length and weigh 50 kg (110 lbs). Some anglerfish can live as long as 30 years. They are found throughout the world.
There are many fish and amphibians which fall under the moniker ‘anglerfish’. In fact, there are in excess of 300 hundred species.
The Fishermen of the Ocean
They are called after their method of catching fish. They use a growth on their head as a lure to attract fish. This lure is known as the esca and is flexible to allow the fish to move it in any direction. Bacteria in the esca illuminates for other fish and potential meals to see. This relationship is also beneficial to the bacteria as the anglerfish provide them with a constant source of food.
The esca acts as a bait and brings prey right into the anglerfish’s jaws. The anglerfish is armed with a fiercesome array of sharp, backward-pointing teeth. They can swallow prey twice their body size due to a distending jaw and expanding stomach. Only the female possesses a lure.
Strange Reproduction
Deep-sea anglerfish reproduction is amazing. As males reach sexual maturity, their digestive system becomes redundant. When this happens they must quickly find a female or risk death. The male fish has an accute sense of smell. He uses this heightened sense to locate the female. Once the female is located the male proceeds to attach himself to her body by biting into her skin. The male is then assimulated into the female and all that remain are a pair of testes. The female now can fertilise her eggs as soon as she is ready to spawn.
Deep-sea anglerfish also hold one unmatched record. The Photocarynus spiniceps is the smallest known vertebrate at 5mm (quarter inch) in length. Of course it is the male of the species that holds this record, the female can sometimes be hundreds of thousands of times bigger.
Further Reading
Oceanic Anglerfishes: Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea is a comprehensive read consisting of over 500 pages with everything you need to know about this peculiar animals.
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2 Responses to “About Anglerfish: Nature’s Fishing Masters”
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This is fantastic! It’s also what the revolutionary fishing lure from Esca Global in Norway has originated. The Esca lure attracts fish by imitating nature’s lure lights like you find on the anglerfish, squid and Krill. As many people says about the Esca – It makes lures and bait come alive. What is cool also by the Esca lure is that its powered by saltwater.
Glad you liked it. I enjoyed checking out your site and your product. Seems to be very clever. The best technology comes from nature.