The black seadevil has a fearsome appearance. Image Credit: YouTube / MBARI
A rare and elusive species of deep-sea fish has been captured on camera off the coast of California.
With its pitch black skin, a mouth full of sharp teeth and a face that wouldn't look amiss in a horror movie, the appropriately named black seadevil is rarely seen despite its distinctive appearance.
Typically found in temperate waters, the fish lures in its prey using a unique luminescent 'fishing pole' that dangles above its head.
Now a research time diving in Monterey Bay has managed to capture this bizarre species on film for the first time.
"We've been diving out here in the Monterey Canyon regularly for 25 years, and we've seen three," said MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robinson. The team even managed to catch the creature for further study however it isn't clear how long it will survive.
The video footage they recorded of the fish can be viewed below.
Because if a research team has only ever seen 3 in 25 years.... That tells me they must be rare. Except for the fact that the deep sea at this depth is pretty stable and extends virtually around the entire globe. The oxygen levels are low, the pressure enormous, the temperature just above freezing, but it will be like that almost everywhere at that depth and the deep is interconnected from ocean to ocean, meaning that, although these life forms have rarely been seen owing to their dispersion over vast distances, they are likely not all that rare, just very spread out. At any one time VERY few ... [More]
Except for the fact that the deep sea at this depth is pretty stable and extends virtually around the entire globe. The oxygen levels are low, the pressure enormous, the temperature just above freezing, but it will be like that almost everywhere at that depth and the deep is interconnected from ocean to ocean, meaning that, although these life forms have rarely been seen owing to their dispersion over vast distances, they are likely not all that rare, just very spread out. At any one time VERY few humans are in the deep sea so it is unlikely they will see one of these fish and it is quite poss... [More]
Wow,that is an interesting looking fish..at first I thought it was ugly,but it's actually kinda cute IMO..there are so many wonderful things to be seen in our oceans,I hope they continue to find interesting things like this fish and share them with the world because maybe then more people will learn to care about the oceans
I think animal crossing calls them football fish. Haha. Accept in the game they're blue so they might be a different species all together. Anyways...that's pretty cool to see. It looks mean. Wouldn't wanna p*** it off.
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