Buzz
The deep ocean is teeming with bizarre, almost alien creatures, and the fanfin anglerfish is no exception. The sharp-toothed Caulophryne jordani, known for its expandable stomach, glowing lure, and fin rays, stands out not only for its strange appearance but also for its unusual mating behavior, which has now been filmed in its natural habitat for the first time, as reported by CNET and Science.
If you happened upon a male and female anglerfish together, you might not even recognize them as the same species. In fact, in the video below, you may struggle to spot the male at all. The male is far smaller—up to 60 times shorter—and lacks the glowing lure that the female sports.
And, to be honest, he's not exactly a model partner. The male anglerfish latches onto the female’s belly in a parasitic mating ritual where he bites into her and attaches himself, ultimately fusing with her so he can feed off her blood. From that point on, he stays attached, fertilizing her eggs and eventually becoming a permanent part of her body.
Studying an anglerfish in action, or even just observing one, is incredibly challenging. There are only 14 preserved specimens of this particular species in natural history museums worldwide, and they are all females. Since anglerfish cannot survive in laboratory settings, the only way to observe them is in their natural environment. This video, captured in 2016 off the coast of Portugal by researchers from the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation, marks only the third occasion we’ve managed to document the behavior of deep-sea anglerfish.
Watch the footage for yourself, and feel thankful that your own relationships aren't quite as dependent.
