The anglerfish or anglerfish, as it is also called, is a predator, sea bottom fish, which belongs to the class of bony fish.

Monk fish is a rather large predatory fish that lives at the bottom and can reach a length of about two meters.

European angler fish monkfish: description and structure

The monkfish is a predatory marine fish that lives at the bottom of the sea. It has a fairly large physique and can reach a length of about two meters.

So, the weight of one lantern fish can reach about twenty kilograms. At the same time, the torso and huge head are rather strongly thickened in the horizontal direction. In this way, all types of anglers have a wide mouth, which is several times larger than their head.

In the features of the structure, it is worth noting a few characteristic features:

European anglerfish habitat

The European anglerfish is quite common in the oceans and along various coasts. Lanternfish can be found in the Atlantic Ocean. It can live off the coast of Canada and the United States of America. Various species of monkfish are found near the coasts of Japan and Korea.

At the same time, you can find sea devils in the waters of the Okhotsk and Yellow Seas, as well as in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Black Sea.

Monkfish can also be found deep in the Indian Ocean, which spans the end of Africa. Depending on the habitat, fish can live at different depths. It can be eighteen meters and up to two kilometers.

Monkfish nutrition

The monkfish is a predatory fish. Her diet consists of other fish. that live in the water column. Various small fish, such as gerbil or cod, can get into her stomach. And also she can eat small stingrays, sharks and eels. In addition, it can be various crustaceans, mollusks.

Quite often, predators rise closer to the surface of the water, where they can hunt mackerel or herring. Wherein there have been cases when fish attacked birds that landed on sea waves.

Each angler fish hunts from an ambush, having a natural camouflage - it can be overlooked in thickets and algae. Thus, it lies at the bottom of the ocean, buried in the ground and hiding in algae. A potential victim grabs the bait, which is located at the angler at the end of his rod. Thus, the European angler opens its mouth and swallows its prey. In exactly six milliseconds, the prey enters the mouth of the predator. Monk fish hunts, being in ambush for a long time. He can lurk and hold his breath for several minutes.

Types of European anglers

To date, several varieties of European anglerfish are known. Let's consider each of them.

1. . It is a predatory fish with a body length of up to one meter. The body weight of the fish can reach up to twenty-two kilograms. At the same time, it has a rounded head, which tapers towards the tail. Outwardly, it may resemble a tadpole. The lower jaw is pushed forward - with the closed mouth of the predator, you can see the lower teeth. At the same time, the upper and lower jaws are dotted with sharp and thin teeth. They can be tilted deep into the mouth and reach a length of two centimeters. Almost all lower jaws of monkfish are large and arranged in three rows. At the same time, the upper jaw has large teeth that grow only towards the center, and the lateral sections are slightly smaller than the main size. The gills of this fish do not have covers and are located immediately behind the pectoral fins. The eyes of the fish are directed upwards. In addition, the first ray of the fish has a leathery growth that glows due to the settled bacteria. In this case, the cover of the skin of the back and sides can be of various shades, including a variety of spots. This species of fish lives up to thirty years. You can meet her in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. It can live at depths up to six hundred and seventy meters.
2. European anglerfish- this the most common type which reaches a length of up to two meters. The weight of the fish can exceed twenty kilograms. The body of the anglerfish is flattened from the back to the belly. Its dimensions can be up to 75% of the total length of the fish. A distinctive feature of this fish is its a huge mouth that looks like a crescent moon. Thus, it has several hook-like teeth and a jaw that, like the first variant, is pushed forward. The gill openings of the European anglerfish are located behind the wide pectoral fins, which allow them to move along the bottom and burrow into it in anticipation of the victim. The body of the fish is devoid of scales and has a variety of bone spikes and skin growths of various lengths and shapes. The hind fins are located opposite the anal. All anglers have six beams. The color of this fish varies depending on its habitat. As a rule, dark spots take place on the back and sides, which are painted in brown, red and green. The European devil lives exclusively in the Atlantic Ocean. Quite often you can meet anglerfish at a depth of 18 to 550 meters in the Black Sea.
3. Black-bellied anglers quite close to their European relatives. They are small in size and have a relatively broad head. The length of the fish can be from half a meter to one meter. The structure of the jaw apparatus will not differ in any way from individuals of another species. At the same time, the monkfish has a characteristic abdominal part, and its back and sides will be painted in pink, gray. Depending on where he lives, his body may have some dark and light spots. The lifespan of a fish can be over twenty-one years. This anglerfish is widely distributed in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. In Great Britain, Ireland, it lives at depths up to 650 meters. At the same time, it can be found at a depth of up to one kilometer in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
4. - This is a typical predatory fish that lives in the Japan, Okhotsk, Yellow and East China Seas. In some cases, it can be found in the Pacific Ocean. It can burrow at a depth of fifty meters to two kilometers. In this case, an individual can grow from one and a half meters in length. Like other representatives, it has a long tail and curved teeth on the lower jaw. It also has a yellow body, which is covered with various growths and tubercles, which are painted in a monochromatic brown color. The spots will be light in color with a characteristic dark stroke. Unlike the back and sides, they are slightly lighter. The back has characteristic light ends.
5. It has a characteristic flattened head and a short tail. This tail of the fish occupies more than a third of the length of the entire body. At the same time, adult individuals of the lantern fish do not reach a length of more than one meter. Their life expectancy is about eleven years. The angler lives at a depth of up to four hundred meters in the waters of the Atlantic. Quite often it can be found in the western Indian Ocean and the coast of Namibia. In addition, they can live in the waters of Mozambique, South Africa. The body of the Burmese monkfish is slightly flattened towards the belly and covered with fringe and leathery growths. At the same time, at the top of the beam of the fish of the lantern there is a fin with its back. Outwardly, it resembles a patch. Gill slits are located behind the pectoral fins slightly below their level. The lower part of the fish is completely white and light.

Each type of lantern fish has its own structural features, as well as its range.

These unusual fish live at a depth of 3000 meters.
Their skin is black (dark brown individuals are found).
The spherical shape of the body reaches a length of one meter (sometimes larger individuals are also found), weight - from 5 to 8 kg, a huge mouth with terrifying teeth ... a gloomy look of terrible eyes ... such are the females ...
And what are the males of deep-sea anglerfish?
The length of the male is about 4 cm. I specify - a large male :) Usually their length is from 16 mm, and their weight is from 14 mg.

Despite the fact that adult anglerfish live at depths where there are no seasonal changes, all species breed in spring or summer. Spawning takes place at depth.

Females spawn millions of small (no more than 0.5-0.7 mm in diameter) eggs, which gradually rise up. Larvae 2-3 mm long hatch in the near-surface layer of 30-200 m.

By the beginning of metamorphosis, juveniles have time to descend to a depth of more than 1000 m. In the layer of 1500-2000 m, anglerfish already live, having passed metamorphosis and reached maturity. These vertical migrations are of adaptive importance, since only in the near-surface layer are inactive and numerous larvae able to find enough food to accumulate supplies for the upcoming metamorphosis.
Deep-sea anglerfish larvae are found only in the tropical and warm temperate zones of the World Ocean, lying between 40 ° N. sh. and 35°S sh. and limited by summer isotherms of 20 °C in surface waters. In higher latitudes, including subarctic and subantarctic waters, only adults are found, which get there due to their removal by currents.

The angler fish got its name from the “fishing rod with a luminous bait” located on its head. This is a process formed (only in females!) from the 1st ray of the dorsal fin of the fish. Each type of angler is different.

For example, in Ceratias holboelli, the process extends and retracts. This predator throws its bait away and with small jerks lures the future dinner right into its mouth. And there the fish remains to open it more and slam it in time.
At the tip of this process is a small pouch that glows in the dark. It is filled with slime with bioluminescent bacteria. By regulating the flow of blood with oxygen to the sac, the fish controls the brightness of the "bulb". In some species, it is located directly in the mouth. This eliminates the need to "catch a fish with a bait." The prey itself swims into the mouth of the predator.

Anglers are very voracious. Their stomachs can stretch to colossal sizes. Any female can swallow a prey that is several times her size.
To swallow, she will swallow the victim, but it’s not in vain that they say that gluttony will not lead to good, because as a result of her greed, the glutton will certainly die herself, because she cannot release the victim (teeth do not allow), but she is unable to digest ...

It is traditionally believed that the appearance of deep-sea fish is a swollen spherical body, necessarily bulging eyes.

This is not entirely correct. The fact is that the bodies of deep-sea fish become swollen only when they rise to the surface of the water. This happens due to the excess internal pressure, which is 150-300 atmospheres at a depth of 1500-3000 m.

Watch the video "Anglers" here:

One of the most interesting inhabitants of the deep sea is the anglerfish. A repulsive appearance, an unusual way of hunting and relationships with the opposite sex noticeably distinguish her from other marine life. The dwelling of fish at great depths did not immediately make it possible to study it. Currently, ceratiform or deep-sea anglerfish include a dozen families and more than a hundred known species.

Appearance and varieties

According to one version, the nondescript and intimidating appearance, as well as the habitat, gave the fish its nickname deep-sea monkfish. Some individuals can reach a length of up to two meters. The fish has a disproportionate spherical body, the head occupies more than half of the body. Coloring helps her to perfectly disguise. Anglerfish are dark brown and black, but their belly is usually white.

The monkfish's mouth is huge, adorned with a row of sharp, inward-curving teeth. There may be moving leathery folds around the mouth, which also help the fish to successfully hide in the algae at the bottom and wait for prey.

The fish does not have scales, but in some species the bare skin is covered with scales that have been transformed into spines. The anglerfish has very poor eyesight and sense of smell, his eyes are very small. The fish raised to the surface looks completely different than at its usual depth. A swollen body and bulging eyes are a consequence of excess internal pressure.

There are 11 families of monkfish

Anglerfish can be divided into 11 families:

• Caulophrinic;
• Centrophrin;
• Ceratiaceae;
• Diceratium;
• Long stylus;
• Himantholophaceae;
• Linofrin;
• Melanocetes;
• Novocerathium;
• Oneyrodaceae;
• Thaumatihtovye.

Another characteristic feature of this species is the rod (illicium). In fact, this is an overgrown dorsal fin, namely the first ray. The species Ceratias holboelli can hide the illium by pulling it inside the body, while in Galatheathauma axeli it is located directly in the mouth.

In most species, the rod is directed forward and hangs directly to the mouth, luring prey. At the end of the illition there is an esca or lure. The esca is a leather pouch - it is a gland filled with mucus with bioluminescent bacteria, due to which the bait glows. Usually the glow is a series of flashes. Fish can make and stop glowing, controlling the process of vasodilation and constriction, since the gland needs blood flow, and bioluminescent bacteria need oxygen.

sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism refers to differences in anatomy between females and males of the same species. In anglers, this is especially pronounced. For a long time, scientists could not understand what a male anglerfish looks like, because they attributed males and females to two different species.

Distinctive feature - there is an illition

The sizes of females vary from 5 cm to 2 meters, and the weight reaches 57 kilograms. These predatory fish have a wide mouth and a strongly stretched stomach. They prey on other deep sea fish. Compared to them, males are just dwarfs, because they reach a length of no more than 4 cm.

Another difference is the presence of illition. Only the females of this fish have a fishing rod. Deep-sea angler hides other surprises. Unlike females, males have developed eyes and olfactory organs, which they need to search for a female.

Habitat and food

The deep-sea anglerfish lives in the thickness of the waters of the oceans. The fish is adapted to live at a depth of up to 3 kilometers. The anglerfish is especially common in the Atlantic Ocean, from the coast of Iceland to the Sea of ​​Guinea, preferring cool waters.

Females prey on other deep-sea fish - gonostomas, hauliods, melamfays, they also feed on crustaceans and sometimes cephalopods.

The hunting process is as follows. The angler lies at the bottom, hiding in silt and algae. He turns on the glow of the eska and twitches it so that it looks like the movement of a small fish. To catch the prey, the female patiently waits for her to swim to her. She draws small prey into herself, sucking along with water. It takes a few milliseconds to swallow a curious fish. Sometimes, due to its developed pectoral fins or releasing jets of water through the gills, the anglerfish can jump forward, attacking the prey.

The angler is an extremely voracious fish, it can attack prey that is three times its size. Although the fish's stomach is stretched to an impressive size, such a meal ends in death for the fish. Since her teeth are bent inward, she cannot spit out her prey and chokes.

Monkfish hunting methods are quite extraordinary

There have been cases where the anglerfish related species, the monkfish, has swallowed seabirds with the same outcome. As a rule, the angler rises to the top when it eats intensively after spawning. At such moments, he can attack a person.

• Caulophrinic;
• Linofrin;
• Ceratiaceae;
• Novoceratium.

Possessing good eyesight and sense of smell, males detect a female by emitting pheromones, which persist for a long time in a still water column. To understand if a female belongs to their species, males visually evaluate the shape of the rod and the frequency of outbreaks, which varies in all species. After making sure that the female is of the same species, the male swims up to her and tightly clings to her side with his teeth.

Having attached itself to the female, the male anglerfish loses its independence. After a while, it fuses with the female with the tongue and lips. His organs atrophy, in particular, eyes, teeth, jaws, organs of smell, fins, stomach. He becomes one with the female, feeding himself through a system of common blood vessels.

Males find females easily with the help of pheromones

reproduction

Like most species, the deep sea anglerfish breeds in spring and summer, although no seasonal changes occur at great depths. The tape of caviar can reach 10 meters. Millions of fertilized eggs rise to the upper layers of water, to a depth of no more than 30 – 200 meters. There, the larvae hatch and for some time are eaten off by crustaceans and chaetognaths, accumulating strength before the upcoming metamorphosis.

Deep-sea anglerfish larvae thrive in warm waters. They can be found in tropical and warm temperate ocean zones, where surface water temperatures can reach 20 degrees.

By the time metamorphosis occurs, the fry descend to a depth of 1 km. Sexually mature anglers descend to the usual depth of their habitat - 1500 – 3000 meters. Anglerfish can be carried by currents even to subarctic and subantarctic waters.

Eating

The European anglerfish or monkfish is a commercial fish species. and even considered a delicacy. Especially large quantities of monkfish are caught in Great Britain and France, but in general they are caught all over the world - in America, Africa, East Asia.

The fish gained its popularity due to dense boneless meat, although rather tough. The tail part of the anglerfish is used for food, soup is cooked from the head. The tail section is prepared in a variety of ways. Monkfish dishes are especially appreciated in France.

In this video you will learn more about this fish:

Wow! God forbid I dream of SUCH! Any small child now at the sight of SUCH will cry. And this fish Deep Sea Angler! Creepy horror! Now you will learn more about it.

What it is?

deep sea anglerfish- fish from the detachment of anglerfish. It got its name because of the process on the head of females, resembling a fishing rod and emitting light. This "rod" serves to attract prey.

Habitat

It lives in all oceans at a depth of three kilometers from the surface of the water.

Lifestyle

This horror feeds on everything that moves. Does not disdain either shellfish or fish. They are very voracious and often attack prey larger than themselves. Their stomach can stretch to digest a larger piece.

Interesting Facts

In general, everything described above about female anglerfish. And males are much smaller than females, their length reaches one meter, while females have a length of at least five meters. Males have one unique property - they parasitize females! It looks like this: before puberty, males have exceptional olfactory senses, allowing them to find a female in pitch darkness by the smell of her pheromones. Having found a "girlfriend" for himself, the male attaches himself to the body of the female with his teeth and eventually completely loses his independence. The only organ that continues to function is the sex organ, which produces sperm, which the female needs for reproduction. There can be up to three such males about one female.

I will tell you today about one terrible, but charming inhabitant of the deep sea - deep sea anglerfish . At the mention of this creature, a frame from the cartoon about the fish Nemo immediately comes to mind.

This picture is not far from the truth :)

deep sea anglers or ceratioidei (lat. Ceratioidei) - a suborder of deep-sea fish from the anglerfish order, whose representatives live at great depths of the oceans.

Deep-sea anglerfish constantly live at a depth of about 1500 - 3000 m. They are characterized by a spherical, laterally flattened theme 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 the case. Deep-sea fish take on the appearance of swollen bodies when they are raised to the surface in fishing nets due to excess internal pressure, which at depths of 1500-3000 meters is 150-300 atmospheres.

Anglerfish are distinguished by pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are much larger than males and are predators. They have a large mouth, powerful teeth, and a highly extensible stomach. The first ray of the dorsal fin of females is turned into a "fishing rod" (illicium) with a luminous "bait" (escoy) at the end. But the most pronounced sexual dimorphism is manifested 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 of various species varies in shape and size and is provided with various skin appendages. In some species, the illicium is able to extend and retract into a special canal on its back. While luring the prey, the anglerfish gradually moves the luminous bait to the mouth until it swallows its prey.

The luminous organ is a mucus-filled gland 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 that need oxygen to do this, or stop it by constricting the vessels. Usually the glow occurs in the form of a series of successive flashes, individual for each species. The benthic galateatum, which lives at a depth of about 3600 m, has a luminous bait in its mouth. Unlike other deep-sea anglers, she apparently hunts lying on the bottom.

Adult female anglerfish feed on deep-sea fish, crustaceans, and, less commonly, cephalopods; males - copepods and chaetognaths. The stomach of females is able to stretch very strongly, due to which they can swallow prey, often exceeding them in size. The voracity of anglers sometimes leads to their own death. They found dead anglers with swallowed fish, exceeding them in size by more than 2 times. Having captured such a large prey, the angler cannot release it because of the peculiar structure of the teeth and chokes.

Good night everyone and good dreams! :)

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