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Like the head structure, the fishing pole, which acts as a greed, is only found in women. One of the most interesting Angler Fish Facts is the feeding method that differs between males and females.
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This prediction is very similar to Angling and hence the name. The name Angler Fish is given in the head with the mention of fleshy growth, which is used to lure its prey. The exact number of families is still controversial, with some groups identifying 18 families under the same order and others 16 families.
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The deep-sea anglerfish, also known as the Humpback Anglerfish, is a medium-sized (7 inches / 18 cm) anglerfish that lives deep in the ocean.Īngler Fish is a curious-looking bonefish consisting of lofiform sequences and more than 15 families. The humpback anglerfish are close to the top of the food chain and are mostly predators instead of prey.The deep-sea angler, also known as Melanostatus johnsoni, has a bizarre appearance that lives in extreme depths of the ocean. No known predators of this fish have been recorded as yet. Like many snake species, the teeth of the humpback anglerfish are sharp and angled inwards, helping them preventing their captured prey from escaping.Their rounded body makes it easier for them to gulp down their prey.The facial dots are also part of this lateral line and can detect the movements of other creatures in the sea water. Like many other fish species, the lateral line of the humpback anglerfish helps them sense the water pressure and underwater movements.The mouth of the fish is extraordinarily large enabling them to capture preys larger in size than the anglerfish itself.The light from their spine also glows up their terrible face that might scare off potential predators.This discrepancy has been compensated by nature with their bioluminescent spine on the forehead that glows in the dark, thus attracting their prey. Since humpback anglerfish has a peculiar body shape, they cannot swim fast.Once they hatch out of their eggs and attain the minimum age of sexual maturity, they move on dedicatedly to search for sexual mates, clinging onto larger females with the help of their teeth, producing the next line of offspring. The young males are conspicuously small, with only around an inch (3 cm) in length. When the larvae mature, they return to the dark depths of the sea. Soon after, the eggs hatch to larvae, which feed on tiny planktons until they grow up considerably. The female lays its eggs on a sheet of gelatinous material that floats on the water surface. The female humpback releases its egg (ovum) into the deep column of water, while the male immediately releases its sperm, which then goes on to fertilize the eggs. The reproduction of the humpback anglerfish occurs through the process of external fertilization (i.e., outside the body). Once found, the male attaches itself with the hooked teeth and begins to drink the female’s blood, supplying sperm to fertilize the latter’s eggs.Īfter a short mating, the male leaves its mate in search of another female for mating. The males follow the strains of the scent of the body and the lure light to spot the females in the dark. The male humpback anglerfish are naturally designed in a way to be able to find out a female for mating. Unlike the other anglerfish species, the mating time of the humpback anglerfish is rather short. Humpback Anglerfish Male Mating and Reproduction The primary food of these fish is other small fish, different species of shrimps (including the mantis shrimp), small squids and turtles, etc. The fish use their lure by pulsing the light while moving it back and forth, attracting other fishes, crustaceans, etc. The glowing lure that the humpback anglerfish has on its forehead is used to attract prey. They are ambush predators and would sit and wait for their prey to come closer. The males do not have the ability to hunt their prey as ferociously as the females can. The male of the species is small with a very light weight, and is not predatory, while the larger size female is more dominant than their male counterparts. Since these fish live at great depths of the ocean, it is quite difficult to study their detailed behavior. The species is found in the deep waters of the world’s oceans at a minimum depth of 3000 feet where the environment is completely dark with the water being close to a freezing point because of the complete absence of sunlight. These creatures are found almost everywhere in the world, in the tropical to temperate parts of the oceans, especially in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The longevity of this species of fish is yet unknown.
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