Fried medallions and tender pate, aromatic fillet with cheese sauce and sweet soup - these and many other monkfish delicacies are offered to visitors of expensive European and Asian restaurants. Light, with pinkish veins, low-calorie meat has decent taste.
Behind strange name « angler» hiding most interesting representative class of ray-finned fish (order of anglerfish). Name inhabitant of oceanic and depths of the sea got for quite scary appearance, deceit and incredible gluttony.
Description
The order of anglerfish consists of 11 families known to science, including about 120 species of fish. Monkfish fish is among large predators. The catches usually contain individuals up to 1 meter long and weighing up to 10 kg, but there are also two-meter giants weighing up to 40 kg.
The entire order of anglerfish has a disproportionate body: narrow rear end flattened laterally, and the wider anterior part (including the head) is flattened in the dorsoventral direction.
A wide mouth with a slightly protruded lower jaw can open almost the entire circumference of the huge head, which is up to 2/3 of the length of the fish
The structure of the upper and lower jaws (in particular, flexible bones and a movable upper jaw) allow the monkfish to swallow prey that is significantly larger than itself.
The unsightly picture is complemented by sharp teeth of varying lengths curved inwards.
The unique dorsal fin deserves special attention. It is divided into two independent parts. Rear scientific interest has no idea: it is soft, located near the tail, its rays are connected by a membrane.
The anterior part of the fin consists of six spiny rays. One of them is at the top of the head, just above the jaw.
The beam (scientifically called illicium or trapping outgrowth) is directed forward and looks like a kind of fishing rod
Thanks to its catching growth, the monkfish has another name - the anglerfish. In some species, the illicium can be retracted into a special hole on the back. The fish lures food with its own flashlight. It is called “esca”, located at the end of the illicium and is a leathery growth.
In fact, an esca is a mucus-filled gland that is inhabited by living microorganisms. Bacteria exhibit bioluminescence, requiring the presence of oxygen. During the hunt, the angler fish expands the walls of the arteries, providing a flow of oxygen to the gland.
The bacteria glow, creating a series of sequential flashes that attract potential prey
Having sated, the anglerfish narrows the walls of the blood vessels, and the glow stops.
For this feature monkfish is sometimes called lanternfish.
Another nickname for the anglerfish is associated with fins - frogfish.
Powerful muscular pectoral fins, reinforced by skeletal bones, allow the monkfish to move along the bottom like an amphibian: by special jumps or crawling, alternately rearranging the fins
Interesting fact! Nature has endowed only the female monkfish with a fishing rod and flashlight.
Sexual dimorphism and reproductive characteristics
Anatomical differences are manifested not only in the absence of an illicium with an esca in males, that is, the main devices for obtaining food. Dimorphism is, first of all, expressed by a significant difference in the growth of males and females. If the average length of females, depending on the species, varies from 0.5 to 1.5 meters, then male anglerfish have a height of 16 mm to 4 cm.
Scientists have long puzzled over why only female specimens of the mysterious fish end up in fishermen’s nets. The males were even credited with some semblance of intelligence, allowing them to avoid captivity.
Gradually, the male fuses with the female with his tongue and lips, and a little later with blood vessels. He is losing vitality important organs(teeth, intestines, eyes) and becomes an appendage of the female, feeding through her blood.
In the photograph, the arrow indicates a male attached to a female. The picture gives an idea of the dimorphism of individuals of different sexes.
Being almost completely dissolved in the female, the male fertilizes the eggs at the right moment
The only function that the male retains is the ability to produce sperm. For this reason, a female often carries up to 4 males.
Females are very fertile. In the spring and summer, they lay up to 3 million eggs. Spawning occurs at a depth of at least 900 m. The eggs are connected into a ribbon-like clutch up to 12 meters long. The mucus-covered ribbon floats freely until the cell walls begin to disintegrate. The hatched larvae live in the surface layer of the reservoir for 2–3 weeks, feeding on pelagic eggs, copepods, and fry of other fish. Only after reaching a length of 8 cm, the juvenile angler fish descends to depth.
Range of the most common species
Observing monkfish is difficult due to the great depths of its habitat. Of the 120 species included in the order Anglerfishes, five are the most studied:
- European monkfish: distributed in the Black, Baltic, Barents, North Seas, in the European part of the Atlantic Ocean, and the English Channel. It lives at depths from 18 to 550 meters, where it grows up to 2 meters;
- black-bellied monkfish(other names: boudegassa anglerfish, southern European anglerfish): differs from its European counterpart in its more modest size: 0.5–1 meter. Species distribution zone - East End Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain to Senegal (habitat depth 300–650 m). The fish can be found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas at a kilometer depth;
- American monkfish: lives in the waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean at depths of up to 670 meters. The maximum length of the American anglerfish is 1.2 meters, weight is about 23 kg;
- Far Eastern monkfish(yellow or Japanese anglerfish): a one and a half meter monster has chosen the waters of the Japanese, Yellow, and Okhotsk seas. Less common in Pacific Ocean in the area of Japan. Feels comfortable at a depth of 50 meters to 2 kilometers;
- Burmese monkfish(Cape anglerfish): lives in the western Indian and southeastern Atlantic oceans at depths of up to 400 meters. The size of the largest individual does not exceed 1 meter.
All types have commercial value. If previously monkfish were caught as bycatch, now valuable fish purposefully extracted using nets. Amateurs catch anglerfish with bottom gear using live bait.
How and who does monkfish hunt?
There are small, close-set eyes on the head of the anglerfish, but the deep-sea fish cannot boast of visual acuity. However, she does not need to chase prey. Monkfish prefers to ambush near the bottom.
Natural camouflage contributes to successful hunting.
The constantly moving long leathery folds around the monkfish's mouth mislead gullible fish. They mistake them for algae
The fish has no scales. Her body is covered with plaques, spines, tubercles and similar growths. The bare skin is colored in accordance with the general background of the bottom of the habitat. Usually these colors are brown, black, dark gray; in some species there are light spots randomly scattered throughout the body.
Interesting fact! While waiting for prey, the monkfish is capable of remaining motionless for a long time and even holding its breath. Pauses between breaths can be up to 2 minutes.
As soon as the inhabitants of the reservoir, attracted by the glow, come close to the mouth, the angler sharply opens its huge mouth and, along with the flow of water, draws in the prey. The victim does not have time to offer resistance: the entire process lasts no more than 6 milliseconds.
The diet of monkfish consists of various crustaceans, as well as bottom fish: flounder, eel, stingray, sometimes small sharks. During the feeding season, the anglerfish may leave its usual depth. Then his prey becomes cod, mackerel, and herring.
There are known cases of fish attacking waterfowl. True, such gluttony costs the life of the angler himself: he dies from feathers stuck in his mouth
The terrifying appearance of the monkfish has given rise to many superstitions and legends. It is widely believed that the anglerfish attacks swimmers. The statement is only partly true. During the period of zhora, the fish rises to the surface of the reservoir and can actually bite a person. The rest of the time, the monkfish prefers to stay at depths beyond the reach of divers.
In the UK, since 2007, there has been a ban on the sale of monkfish meat in supermarkets. This is how environmentalists try to preserve unique fish.
Seas and oceans occupy more than half the area of our planet, but they are still shrouded in mysteries for humanity. We strive to conquer space and are looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, but at the same time, only 5% of the world's oceans have been explored by people. But this data is enough to be horrified by what creatures live deep underwater, where sunlight does not penetrate.
The chauliod family includes 6 species of deep-sea fish, but the most common of them is the common hauliod. These fish live in almost all waters of the world's oceans, with the only exceptions being the cold waters of the northern seas and the Arctic Ocean.
Chauliodas got their name from the Greek words “chaulios” - open mouth, and “odous” - tooth. Indeed, these relatively small fish (about 30 cm in length) have teeth that can grow up to 5 centimeters, which is why their mouth never closes, creating a creepy grin. Sometimes these fish are called sea vipers.
Howliods live at depths from 100 to 4000 meters. At night they prefer to rise closer to the surface of the water, and during the day they descend into the very abyss of the ocean. Thus, during the day, fish make huge migrations of several kilometers. With the help of special photophores located on the hauliod's body, they can communicate with each other in the dark.
On the dorsal fin of the viper fish there is one large photophore, with which it lures its prey directly to its mouth. After which, with a sharp bite of needle-sharp teeth, the hauliods paralyze the prey, leaving it no chance of salvation. The diet mainly includes small fish and crustaceans. According to unreliable data, some individuals of hauliods can live up to 30 years or more.
The long-horned sabertooth is another fearsome deep-sea predatory fish, living in all four oceans. Although the saber tooth looks like a monster, it grows to a very modest size (about 15 centimeters in length). The head of the fish with a large mouth occupies almost half the length of the body.
The long-horned sabertooth got its name due to its long and sharp lower fangs, which are the largest in relation to body length among all fish known to science. The terrifying appearance of the sabertooth earned it the unofficial name - “monster fish”.
Adults can vary in color from dark brown to black. The younger representatives look completely different. They are light gray in color and have long spines on their heads. Sabertooth is one of the deepest sea fish in the world, in in rare cases they descend to a depth of 5 kilometers or more. The pressure at these depths is enormous, and the water temperature is about zero. There is catastrophically little food here, so these predators hunt for the first thing that gets in their way.
Dimensions deep sea fish- the dragon absolutely does not fit with his ferocity. These predators, which reach a length of no more than 15 centimeters, can eat prey two or even three times its size. The dragon fish lives in tropical zones The world's oceans at a depth of up to 2000 meters. The fish has a large head and a mouth equipped with many sharp teeth. Like the Howlyod, the dragonfish has its own bait for prey, which is a long whisker with a photophore at the end, located on the fish's chin. The hunting principle is the same as for all deep-sea individuals. Using a photophore, the predator lures the victim to the closest possible distance, and then with a sharp movement inflicts a fatal bite.
The deep-sea anglerfish is rightfully the ugliest fish in existence. There are about 200 species of anglerfish, some of which can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh 30 kilograms. Because of its creepy appearance and bad character, this fish was nicknamed the monkfish. live deep sea anglerfish everywhere at a depth of 500 to 3000 meters. The fish has a dark brown color, a large flat head with many spines. The devil's huge mouth is studded with sharp and long teeth curved inward.
Deep-sea anglerfish have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are tens of times larger than males and are predators. Females have a rod with a fluorescent appendage at the end to attract fish. Most anglers spend time on seabed, burrowing into sand and silt. Due to its huge mouth, this fish can completely swallow prey that is twice its size. That is, hypothetically, a large individual anglerfish could eat a person; Fortunately, there have never been such cases in history.
Probably the most strange inhabitant the depths of the sea can be called the bagmouth or, as it is also called, the pelican-shaped largemouth. Due to its abnormally huge mouth with a bag and a tiny skull in relation to the length of the body, the bagmouth looks more like some kind of alien creature. Some individuals can reach two meters in length.
In fact, bagmouths belong to the class of ray-finned fish, but these monsters do not have too many similarities with the cute fish that live in warm sea backwaters. Scientists believe that the appearance of these creatures changed many thousands of years ago due to their deep-sea lifestyle. Bagmouths have no gill rays, ribs, scales or fins, and the body is oblong with a luminous appendage on the tail. If not big mouth, then the bagmouth could easily be confused with an eel.
Bagworms live at depths from 2000 to 5000 meters in three world oceans, except the Arctic Ocean. Since there is very little food at such depths, bagmouths have adapted to long breaks in eating, which can last more than one month. These fish feed on crustaceans and other deep-sea brethren, mainly swallowing their prey whole.
The elusive giant squid, known to science as Architeuthis dux, is the world's largest mollusc and is thought to reach a length of 18 meters and weigh half a ton. On this moment A live giant squid has never yet fallen into human hands. Until 2004, there were no documented sightings of live giant squid at all, and the general idea of these mysterious creatures It was based only on the remains washed ashore or caught in fishermen’s nets. Architeuthis live at depths of up to 1 kilometer in all oceans. Besides gigantic size these creatures have the largest eyes among living creatures (up to 30 centimeters in diameter).
So in 1887, the largest specimen in history, 17.4 meters long, washed up on the shores of New Zealand. In the next century, only two large dead representatives of the giant squid were discovered - 9.2 and 8.6 meters. In 2006, Japanese scientist Tsunami Kubodera managed to capture on camera a living female 7 meters long. natural environment habitat at a depth of 600 meters. The squid was lured to the surface by a small bait squid, but an attempt to bring a live specimen on board the vessel was unsuccessful - the squid died from multiple injuries.
Giant squids are dangerous predators, and the only one natural enemy for them are adult sperm whales. There are at least two described cases of fight between squid and sperm whale. In the first, the sperm whale won, but soon died, suffocated by the giant tentacles of the mollusk. The second fight took place off the coast of South Africa, then a giant squid fought with a baby sperm whale, and after an hour and a half fight, it still killed the whale.
Giant isopod, known to science, like Bathynomus giganteus, is largest species crustaceans. The average size deep-sea isopods range from 30 centimeters, but the largest recorded specimen weighed 2 kilograms and was 75 centimeters long. In appearance, giant isopods are similar to woodlice, and similar giant squid are a consequence of deep-sea gigantism. These crayfish live at a depth of 200 to 2500 meters, preferring to bury themselves in silt.
The body of these creepy creatures is covered with hard plates that act as a shell. In case of danger, crayfish can curl into a ball and become inaccessible to predators. By the way, isopods are also predators and can feast on a few small deep-sea fish and sea cucumbers. Powerful jaws and strong armor make the isopod a dangerous opponent. Although giant crayfish love to feast on live food, they often have to eat the remains of shark prey that fall from the upper layers of the ocean.
The coelacanth or coelacanth is a large deep-sea fish whose discovery in 1938 became one of the most important zoological finds of the 20th century. Despite its unattractive appearance, this fish is notable for the fact that for 400 million years it has not changed its appearance and body structure. In fact, this unique relict fish is one of the oldest living creatures on planet Earth, which existed long before the appearance of dinosaurs.
Coelacanth lives at a depth of up to 700 meters in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The length of the fish can reach 1.8 meters with a weight of more than 100 kilograms, and the body has a beautiful blue tint. Since coelacanth is very slow, it prefers to hunt great depths, where there is no competition with faster predators. These fish can swim backwards or belly up. Despite the fact that the meat of the coelcanth is inedible, it is often the target of poaching among local residents. Currently ancient fish is in danger of extinction.
The deep sea goblin shark, or goblin shark as it is also called, is the most poorly studied shark to date. This species lives in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean at a depth of up to 1300 meters. The largest specimen was 3.8 meters long and weighed about 200 kilograms.
The goblin shark got its name due to its eerie appearance. Mitsekurina has movable jaws that move outward when bitten. The goblin shark was first accidentally caught by fishermen in 1898, and since then 40 more specimens of this fish have been caught.
Another relic representative sea abyss is a one-of-a-kind detritivorous cephalopod that bears an external resemblance to both squid and octopus. Yours unusual name the hellish vampire received thanks to the red body and eyes, which, however, depending on the lighting, can be blue color. Despite their terrifying appearance, these strange creatures They grow only up to 30 centimeters and, unlike other cephalopods, they eat exclusively plankton.
The body of the hellish vampire is covered with luminous photophores, which create bright flashes of light that scare away enemies. In case of exceptional danger, these small mollusks turn their tentacles along the body, becoming like a ball with spikes. Hellish vampires live at depths of up to 900 meters, and can thrive in water with an oxygen level of 3% or lower, critical for other animals.
Monkfish is a predatory fish of the order Anglerfishes. This species received the name “monkfish” because of its very unattractive appearance. The fish is edible. The meat is white, dense, boneless. Monkfish is especially popular in France.
Whatever they call them - and monkfish, And sea scorpions, and anglerfish, and European anglerfish. However, there are also several varieties of this miracle fish. And in terms of originality of appearance, each of the types is not inferior to each other. People have never seen devils, but the sea monsters that have risen from the depths resemble creatures from the underworld.
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.
In fact, it's simple sea fish- a predator fish with an amazing, unlike anything else appearance. These fish belong to the ray-finned fish, to the order Anglerfishes, to the family Anglerfishes, to the genus Anglerfishes. Now in water depths There are two species of monkfish found on the earth.
Appearance
When you first look at this creature, a remarkable organ immediately catches your eye - the “fishing rod”. The modified fin really resembles a fishing rod with a luminous float. This ugly monster, sometimes reaching up to two meters in length and 30-40 kilograms, can itself regulate the glow of its float. But there is nothing supernatural about this. In fact, the float is a kind of skin formation, in the folds of which amazing bacteria live. In the presence of oxygen, which they draw from the blood of the anglerfish, they glow. But if the monkfish just had lunch and lay down to take a nap, he does not need a glowing flashlight, and it blocks the access of blood to the fin-fishing rod, and the float goes out until the start of a new hunt.
All appearance the monkfish marks him out as an inhabitant of the deep sea. Elongated body, with an unnatural big head, everything is covered with some kind of growths, vaguely reminiscent of either algae, or tree bark, or some kind of twigs and snags.
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.
Habitat
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 were found in the waters Baltic Sea, Black Sea, North Sea and the Barents Sea.
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.
Nutrition
Mainly, other, usually smaller, fish serve as food for these fish. The monkfish menu consists of Katrans, Silversides, Kalkans, Stingrays and others.
In general, the monkfish is incredibly voracious and therefore boldly rushes even at a seemingly obviously unattainable goal. And in “hungry” moments, a large anglerfish, suffering from an almost complete lack of vision, rises to the upper layers of water from the depths and at such moments it is capable of attacking scuba divers. You can meet such an inhabitant of the deep sea just at the end of summer, after a grueling hungry spawning, the “devils” go to shallow water, where they eat intensively until the fall, after which they go to wintering in greater depths.
However, compared to sharks, barracudas and octopuses, true sea devils or anglerfish do not pose an immediate danger to humans. Be that as it may, their terrible teeth can disfigure the hand of an unwary fisherman for life. However, much more damage The monkfish does not harm humans, but other commercial fish species. Thus, there are legends among fishermen that, having fallen into a fishing net, he ate the fish that got there while he was there.
Reproduction
Male and female anglerfish are so different in appearance and size that until some time experts classified them into different classes. The breeding of monkfish is as special as its appearance and hunting method.
The male anglerfish is several times smaller in size than the female. To fertilize the eggs, he needs to find his chosen one and not lose sight of her. To do this, males simply bite into the female’s body. The structure of the teeth does not allow them to free themselves, and they do not want to.
Over time, the female and male grow together, forming a single organism with a common body. Some of the “husband’s” organs and systems atrophy. He no longer needs eyes, fins, or a stomach. Nutrients are supplied through blood vessels from the body of the “wife”. The male only has to fertilize the eggs at the right moment.
They are usually spawned by the female in the spring. Fertility anglerfish quite high. On average, a female lays up to 1 million eggs. This occurs at depth and looks like a long (up to 10 m) and wide (up to 0.5 m) ribbon. The female can carry several “husbands” on her body so that they right time fertilized a large number of caviar.
It should be noted that a female monkfish can simultaneously lay a clutch of about three million eggs. After some time, the eggs are released and travel on their own. sea waters. Turning into larvae, they live closer to the surface of the water for up to four months, and only when they reach a length of 6-8 cm do they sink to the bottom.
Monkfish are not able to compare the feeling of hunger with the size of their prey. There is evidence of an angler catching a fish larger than itself, but being unable to release it due to the structure of its teeth. It happens that a monkfish catches a waterfowl and choke on its feathers, which leads to its death.
Monkfish in cooking
Monkfish is suitable both for frying in pieces and for frying in layers on the grill, or cut into cubes and placed on skewers on the grill. Monkfish is boiled and stewed. The fish is especially popular in France, where the meat of its tail is prepared in many ways, for example with blackcurrant jam or sweet potato, and the head of the devil is used for rich, fatty, multi-spiced soup.
Monkfish meat is highly prized in Japan. Not only meat is eaten, but also liver, fins, skin and stomach.
The Chinese prefer to cook monkfish in a wok. The fillets are fried in oil with rice vinegar and soy sauce, sprinkled with ginger and chili. Then the wok is removed from the heat, the fish is covered with coriander and green onions, stir, serve with rice. Everyone who has tried this dish finds it slightly smoky. It's all a play on spices and the characteristics of the wok. The fish turns out tender and very juicy thanks to quick frying.
In America, monkfish is cooked mainly on the grill. The fish is cut into pieces along with the skin and vertebral bone. Marinate with salt olive oil and rosemary. The oil envelops the pieces of fish and prevents them from drying out. Monkfish is served with grilled vegetables, seasoned lemon juice and olive oil.
In America, they prepare carrot puree with monkfish fillet meatballs. The carrots are boiled until soft, then simmered in heavy cream, chopped with the addition of coriander and salt. The monkfish fillet is crushed, mixed with salt and spices, and formed into meatballs the size of Walnut, boil them for a couple. The puree is served in deep plates, with a dozen meatballs placed in each and sprinkled with fresh herbs.
In Korea, the national dish He is made from monkfish and a sweet-spicy soup is cooked, to which they add a lot of vegetables and fried monkfish (fillet) in batter. Monkfish meat, seasoned with hot spices, is placed in rice dough (pancakes) and fried in a large amount of oil. Serve fish with soy sauce.
In gourmet restaurants in a number of countries you can find dishes where monkfish is presented in the following form. The fish is fried and served, doused with sweet and sour sauce, poached fish is served with lemon and lemon zest, as well as poached and served with parsley or spinach sauce with cheese. Fry fish with chili pepper, smoked paprika and ginger, simmer white wine, cream sauce, milk, baked with tomatoes, fried, strung on rosemary sprigs.
Monkfish is baked in the form of a roll. The fillet is laid out in a layer on film, the filling is placed on top, for example broccoli, and rolled up. The ends of the film are tied, the roll in this form is lowered into water and the fish is boiled for 10 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 86`C. With this method, the fillet remains soft and juicy, but holds its shape perfectly. The fish is served with creamy sauce and potato medallions fried in oil.
Monkfish are not often available for free sale, because... already mentioned above, the fish is under state protection and its catch is limited. Monkfish, not frozen, can be found in large hypermarkets at very high prices. high price in a certain season or on the market from private sellers (this is in Europe and America). The rest of the time, if fish is sold, it is frozen, but its price is just as high - 20 euros per 1 kg.
Female anglerfish Haplophryne mollis with males attached to it
Robbie N. Cada / Wikimedia Commons
Deep-sea anglers or ceratiformes are fish from the suborder Ceratioidei. These predatory fish live at depths of up to 4,500 meters and feed on other fish and crustaceans. They got their name for their unusual way of hunting: many anglers have a “fishing rod” above their heads, which has become the first, second or third ray dorsal fin and which can move in all directions. It has a bait at the end that attracts other predatory fish. When the prey swims too close to the anglerfish's mouth, it swallows it. In some species, the bait contains bioluminescent bacteria, so it emits light.
The rare video was filmed by spouses Christine and Joachim Jakobsen at a depth of 800 meters. They observed deep-sea animals near the Azores Islands from the Lula1000 submarine, which can dive to depths of up to one kilometer and is used to scientific observations since 2013. It should be noted that the researchers did not specify what species the pair of anglerfish they encountered belonged to.
Recently, biologists have learned that another deep-sea fish, white stingrays, have learned to use hydrothermal vents at the bottom as incubators when breeding. Researchers discovered about 150 stingray egg capsules near the “black smokers.”
Ekaterina Rusakova
The depths of the ocean hide a large number of unusual creatures. They have a frightening appearance, unusual behavior. A fish with a flashlight on its head is called a monkfish. She has a very repulsive appearance, which does not prevent her from eating meat of this species. In European and Asian countries this fish is considered a delicacy. She received such recognition for her high taste qualities.
Monkfish has a very repulsive appearance, but is still used in cooking general characteristics
There's one more thing the name of the fish with a flashlight on its head is an angler fish. This is a predator that belongs to the order of anglerfish and the class bony fish. Lives at the bottom of the sea. It reaches two meters in length. Average weight- 20 kg. Large individuals weighing 57 kg are also known.
The body is flattened, compressed in the abdominal direction. The mouth is several times larger than the head.
The anglerfish's jaw is inactive, the mouth is several times larger than the head
Distinctive feature monkfish is a slightly protruded lower jaw. She is inactive. The mouth is decorated sharp teeth, which are slightly curved inward. The jaws have flexible and thin bones that allow the anglerfish to swallow large fish. There are small eyes at the top of the head.
A separate process grows from the dorsal fin. It is shifted to the upper jaw and represents a fishing rod. There is a leathery formation on it - it serves as bait and is a bag of mucus, in which glowing bacteria live. The angler can turn off the light for a while so as not to attract the attention of large predators.
The habitat of deep sea flashlight fish is varied. It can be found in countries such as:
- Canada;
- Japan;
- Korea.
Some representatives of the species are found in the waters of the Black and Yellow Seas. It can live at different depths.
Angler fish can live at different depths Main representatives of the species
Ichthyologists distinguish several varieties of anglerfish. In addition to the American monkfish, the European anglerfish is also distinguished. His body is flattened from back to belly. It grows up to two meters, its weight exceeds 20 kg. He has a huge crescent-shaped mouth. Powerful pectoral fins allow it to bury itself in the sand. The most common individuals are brown in color. Lives only in the Atlantic Ocean.
Black-bellied anglerfish are similar to their closest relatives. They have a wide head and small body size (individual length 50 cm). Characteristic feature is the wide abdominal part. Painted in gray or beige colors. There is no rod on the head.
The Burmese monkfish has a flattened head and short tail. The length of the individual does not exceed one meter. The body is covered with leathery fringe. The lower part of the body is white, the upper part is dark.
The terrible appearance of anglerfish has given rise to a lot of superstitions. Many people believe that monkfish attack swimmers. During periods of hunger, fish rise to the top layer of water and can bite a person. At other times, the anglerfish lives on the bottom and does not collide with the drivers.
Due to high taste qualities Monkfish meat has become popular, so environmentalists have proposed a ban on fishing to preserve the species. It has been illegal to harvest anglerfish in the UK since 2007.
Nutritional Features
A fish with a flashlight on its head is a predator. Therefore, its main food is others sea inhabitants. The monkfish rises to the upper layer of water, where herring and mackerel become its prey. Ichthyologists noted a case when an anglerfish attacked birds that landed on the water.
The anglerfish is a predatory fish that feeds on other types of fish. Basic diet:
- cod or sand lance;
- stingrays;
- sharks;
- acne;
- crustaceans;
- shellfish
Fish with a lantern on its head - perfect hunter. She can sit in ambush for hours. Natural coloring allows you to blend in with the soil or plants. The monkfish puts out its fishing rod and waits for its prey. As soon as the fish grab the bait, they immediately swallow it. A special feature of the anglerfish is the ability to hold its breath for several minutes.
Reproduction of anglerfish
Representatives of this species are distinguished by special reproduction. Females and males are very different from each other and ichthyologists for a long time considered them different fish. When the male reaches the age of sexual maturity, he goes in search of a life partner. A large olfactory organ and huge eyes help him in this.
Ichthyologists do not know how long the search takes. Once a female is discovered, the male latches onto her with his jaws. His tongue and lips completely grow into the bride's body. She takes him completely dependent on him and supplies him with nutrients through ingrown vessels. The male's intestines, jaws and eyes atrophy. The gills and heart work in his body - they supply the body with oxygen.
Female and male anglerfish have long been considered representatives different types During spawning, the female lays eggs, and the male inseminates her with milk. This happens in winter and spring. The caviar comes out in the form of a strip. Its length can reach 9 meters. Young fish switch to a bottom lifestyle when their body length is 6 cm. Before this, they live in the upper layer of water and feed small crustaceans and fry. It is noteworthy that females can carry up to four males at a time.
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