After ‘Doomsday’ Fish, Black Seadevil Anglerfish Mysteriously Rises To Ocean’s Surface
The encounter was filmed earlier this month by Spanish NGO Condrik Tenerife and marine life photographer David Jara Boguna.
A rare oceanic moment was captured off Spain’s Canary Islands, where a deep-sea black seadevil anglerfish was spotted swimming near the surface. It marked a possible first-ever live sighting of the species near the surface. The encounter was filmed earlier this month by Spanish NGO Condrik Tenerife and marine life photographer David Jara Boguna, who were studying sharks near Tenerife. The deep-sea predator, often called the “black sea monster," typically lives thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.
The video of the female black seadevil (Melanocetus johnsonii) was shared on Instagram and shows it floating through sunlit waters, far from its usual dark depths. The post also described it as the first known sighting of an adult black seadevil alive, in broad daylight.
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“A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive. The motive for its presence in such shallow waters is uncertain. Maybe due to illness, an upstream, fleeing a predator, etc.," the caption read. As per the reports, the fish died shortly after the footage was taken.
Tenerife credited marine biologist Laia Valor for this discovery. “Emerging from the abyssal depths in a vertical swim, just 2 km off the coast of Tenerife and during one of our pelagic shark research campaigns, @laiavlr detected this creature on the surface," the caption further read.
Take a look at the video here:
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The black seadevil is rarely seen alive, with most previous records involving larvae, dead adults, or pictures from deep-sea submersibles. The fish is well-known for its haunting appearance, featuring dark skin, needle-like teeth and a glowing lure atop its head that acts as bait to attract prey in the pitch-black depths. The fish usually lives between 650 and 6,500 feet under the water.
Female black seadevils are the larger, more dominant sex, growing up to seven inches long and boasting the signature headlight-like lure. On the other hand, males stay tiny, barely an inch long and lack the bioluminescent appendage.
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