Black Seadevil Anglerfish - The Melanocetus, or the so-called "Black Seadevil", was filmed 580 metres below the surface of the ocean on Nov. 17 by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. The black Seadevil Anglerfish was filmed via a remote-controlled robotic submarine.
Described by many as a nightmare fish due to its daunting appearance resembling a severed head with a huge mouthful of fangs, the black Seadevil Anglerfish looks like something that swam right out of a nightmare.
The rarely seen black Seadevil Anglerfish was, for the first time captured on video in its natural, deep-sea habitat, CBC reports.
The clip of the black Seadevil Anglerfish is reportedly believed to be the first ever moment that such species was seen alive and at such depth. The video was recorded at a depth of more than 1,900 feet, showing a female fish with a broken tooth.
According to the Huffington Post, the male variety is much smaller. They also don't have what they call the "fishing pole" attachment.
The rare footage of the black Seadevil Anglerfish was filmed in Monterey Canyon in California's Monterey Bay by the robotic submarine and remotely operated submersible vehicle called Doc Ricketts.
"We've been diving out here in the Monterey Canyon regularly for 25 years, and we've seen three," told MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robison to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Robison narrated the video showing the black Seadevil Anglerfish.
"Anglers have a remarkable apparatus on their heads: a fishing pole, with a luminous lure at the tip, which they use to attract their prey. In the darkness of deep water, they flash the light to attract prey and draw them near the angler's mouth," he said, describing the unusual appearance of the black Seadevil Anglerfish.
"When a fish or a squid swims up, it is quickly inhaled by the angler's huge mouth and trapped by its long, sharp teeth," he added.
The hunting technique used by the black Seadevil Anglerfish in the footage is reportedly familiar to anyone who's seen the film "Finding Nemo." However, as scary as the species appears, they are not as big as one might imagine. The recently captured black Seadevil Anglerfish is only about 3.5 inches long.
By Monday night, the video of the black Seadevil Anglerfish has already been viewed more than 3 million times since it has been up a few days earlier.
According to the researchers, they are sure that the black Seadevil Anglerfish in the video is a female because males are much smaller and they don't have a lure, since males focus on reproduction rather than hunting.
"Males are ill-equipped for feeding, and their sole responsibility appears to be to find a female and mate with her as soon as possible," Robison said in the video of the black Seadevil Anglerfish.
When males find a mate, they "bite into the body of the female, their tissues fuse. The male's body degenerates until it's a lump of tissue surrounding testicles," Robison told KSBW, the local NBC affiliate.
After that, the female black Seadevil Anglerfish will carry the male around for the rest of her life, and collect more along the way.
According to Robinson, he has already seen 11 males attached to a single female.
"The deep sea is filled with surprises and wonderful creatures," Robinson said. "Humans have only just begun to explore this vast realm, and we can only imagine what discoveries are yet to be made."
The beady-eyed black Seadevil Anglerfish swimming with its mouth open wide, was captured in such detail that one can even see a broken tooth flapping as it swims. The tiny dots on its skin used to sense its prey's movements are also vividly visible in the footage.
The black Seadevil Anglerfish is indeed a monstrous-looking deep-sea predator named and known for a worm-like appendage on their heads that emits light. The fish reportedly waves the lure around so that prey will be enticed enough to go into their gaping mouths.
According to the research institute, the black Seadevil Anglerfish have only been captured on video a handful of times and to the knowledge of the experts, this particular black Seadevil Anglerfish has never been filmed before.
Black Seadevil Anglerfish encounters are exceedingly rare, that according to MBARI, fewer than half a dozen have ever been recorded by deep-diving research vehicles, reports i09.
Here's the video from MBARI:
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