First ever known video of "black seadevil"

[pallidin]

A research team conducting a dive in Monterey Bay off the coast of California have captured first-ever video of a rarely-seen denizen of the deep called the black seadevil.

The creature was spotted this week in the dark, deep waters 1,900 feet below the surface by researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

Source: http://www.foxnews.c...tcmp=latestnews

Edited November 23, 2014 by pallidin

[keithisco]

Nice selfie Pallidin...

[Still Waters]

although the black seadevil seems menacing as its swims towards the camera, it is only about 3.5 inches long.

That's a surprise, it looks so much bigger.

[Sundew]

Always love any videos of deep sea life. The life forms are so rarely seen and often so alien in appearance they may as well be from another planet.

[Peter B]

Plus, this is one of those species where the males are much smaller than females.

When they smell a female, they bite her and latch on, and that's when the weird stuff happens: they release an enzyme which links their blood systems and then dissolves all of their body except their testicles. So the female essentially has a supply of sperm permanently on tap.

Now there's a life cycle for male readers of this forum to contemplate...

[+DieChecker]

Is that a bio-light on its nose? Like an angler fish....

[Sundew]

Is that a bio-light on its nose? Like an angler fish....

It IS a type of angler fish, there are many species in the deep as well as shallow seas.

[Scholar4Truth]

Those teeth

[Myles]

That's a surprise, it looks so much bigger.

Wow! I too thought it was bigger. That's allot in a little package.

[freetoroam]

Guess looks are not everything, but it has got some sort of beauty somehow...not sexually mind!

[Patient Zero]

That thing is creepy looking.

i can only dream of the crazy things we've yet to find in the depths.

[MJNYC]

I think it was wrong to capture it especially since they don't know how long it will survive.

[Calibeliever]

The stuff of nightmares.

[SHaYap]

I want one !!!!

[freetoroam]

I want one !!!!

I knew someone would.

What would you keep it in and what name will you call it?

[SHaYap]

I knew someone would.

What would you keep it in and what name will you call it?

A pressurized tank of deep sea condition biosphere ~ and I'll call it ~ Ugly ... yes I would ... 'Ugly'

~ edit : page break

Edited November 24, 2014 by third_eye

[Hawken]

Amazing how it's head is very large in proportion to it's body.

[Sundew]

Wow! I too thought it was bigger. That's allot in a little package.

There are large creatures in the deep (oar fish, giant squid, and so forth) but the vast majority of these "monsters" are pretty tiny, mostly because food is so scarce.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

OI!

Don't be racist.

It's Afro-American Seadevil these days!

[Sea Wolf]

God, they're so ugly yet interesting. I feel bad for how much the other fish probably pick on it in gym class.

[Goolie76]

Obviously very rare and they catch it not knowing how long it will survive. Appalling!!!! 😢

[coolguy]

Dam that's scary looking and very cool at the same time

[Peter B]

Obviously very rare and they catch it not knowing how long it will survive. Appalling!!!!

Obviously? How do you know?

[Peter B]

Amazing how it's head is very large in proportion to it's body.

Big jaws means it can swallow larger prey in proportion to its size than other carnivores - like the way some snakes can dislocate their jaws to swallow larger prey.

My guess is that it's an evolutionary adaptation to an environment where food is scarcer, where it's an advantage to be less picky about what size prey you attack.

[Goolie76]

Obviously? How do you know?

Because if a research team has only ever seen 3 in 25 years.... That tells me they must be rare.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Goolie76