Some anglerfish species have very simple lures-which are also known as escas-with just one little dot of light at the tip. That level of variety extends to the glowing lure they use to attract mates and prey. “There’s a lot of different anglerfishes, and they all look pretty different and come in different sizes,” says Bill Ludt, a coauthor on the paper and the museum’s ichthyology curator. Researchers have known for some time that this dazzling, deadly display is a typical feeding tactic of all anglerfish species, but a study on the rare Pacific footballfish sheds new light on how they get their sparkle.Īccording to results published in the Journal of Fish Biology, this particular species doesn’t just emit a glow: it also converts its shining colors into “an amazing disco ball of light,” says study author Todd Clardy, the ichthyology collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM). The last thing they’ll see is a spiny, globe-shaped shadow emerging from behind the glowing orb-then they’ll be ensnared in the toothy maw of an anglerfish. Little do they know that they’re the ones about to become a meal. They likely think that they’ve stumbled upon a prized floating morsel in a relatively resource-deprived habitat. The glimmering shades of blue and green mesmerize curious fish and squid, tempting them closer. But a bobbing bright light sometimes breaks through the abyss. The Pacific footballfish discovered Friday was collected by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and it was unclear Saturday where it would end up.Deep below the ocean-3,000 feet beneath the surface, where sunlight cannot seep-the sea is smothered in a cold, inky darkness. While anglerfish fish are rarely observed, many will find them to look familiar based on a scene in the popular animated movie “Finding Nemo,” in which Marlin and Dory are entranced by the glowing light and narrowly escape capture. They snatch up prey, usually small fish or squid, with long, sharp teeth. They’re called anglerfish because first spine of their dorsal fins, called the illicium, extends outward and contains a phosphorescent bulb intended to lure prey. Most species of anglerfish measure less than 12 inches. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro also has one on exhibit. In 1985 a Pacific footballfish was caught in a fisherman’s net in Monterey Bay and collected by the California Academy of Sciences. The 3.5-inch fish was collected for study. Bruce Robison of MBARI described the anglerfish as being “among the most rarely seen of all deep-sea fishes.” Robison described the footage as first of its kind. In 2014, scientists with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute captured ROV footage of an anglerfish swimming 2,000 feet below the surface.ĭr. Though the fish itself is not rare, it is extremely rare to see one this intact along a beach in southern CA.”ĪLSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Boaters swim with giant basking sharks during rare encounter off San DiegoĮncounters with anglerfish are exceedingly rare because of the extreme, lightless depths at which they reside. “It’s one of more than 300 living species of anglerfish from around the world. “It’s been identified as a deep-sea Pacific footballfish, which is a species of anglerfish that normally dwell at depths more than 3,000 ft below the surface,” Davey’s Locker wrote. Images of the 18-inch anglerfish were captured by Estes and Crystal Cove employees, and shared to Facebook on Saturday by Davey’s Locker Sportfishing & Whale Watching. The extraordinary discovery of what has since been identified as a female Pacific footballfish, a type of anglerfish, was made by Ben Estes at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach. A man walking on a Southern California beach Friday discovered a well-preserved carcass of a bizarre-looking fish that typically resides at depths of 2,000-plus feet.
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