First footage of rare anglerfish
Source: bbc.co.uk
A rare species of anglerfish has been filmed for the first time by US scientists.The deep-dwelling fish was first described in 1899 from a dead specimen but has not previously been seen alive.
Using a remote-operated vehicle, biologists observed the fish "walking" with its fins and using its namesake lure.
Scientists suggest the footage also shows that the fish change colour as they age.
The discovery is reported in the journal Deep Sea Research Part I by the team from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), California, US.
They made their discoveries in underwater mountainous areas, known as seamounts, off the coast of California.
The species Chaunacops coloratus belongs to the family of fish known as anglerfish because of their unique method of predation.
In the same way an angler uses a baited line to catch fish, anglerfish dangle a fleshy lump (the esca) from their head on a long filament (the illicium) which lures prey towards their mouth.
"[Our results] reveal a little more information about an animal that lives 3200 metres below the ocean’s surface that no one has ever seen before," said Senior Research Technician at MBARI Lonny Lundsten, "and we’ve got gorgeous HD video of it!"
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Read the full article at: bbc.co.uk
1 fish, 2 fish, red fish, blue fish! :)
