The Warty Sea Devil

The deep-sea angler fish is a rather odd looking fish. It can be found deep under water, up to 4,000 meters below the ocean’s surface. It is very difficult to survive at these depths, in dark, cold conditions, where there are fewer creatures to prey upon.

The name angler fish comes from the fishing-rod-like antenna (the lure) that hangs over the mouths of the female. The little flap of tissue at the end of the rod is bio-luminescent, which means that the fish projects light to attract its prey. With such a large mouth and long, sharp teeth, the angler fish can capture prey two times longer than itself.

Perhaps the strangest part of the angler fish is its mating behaviour. Once past adolescence, the males spend their lives searching for a female. Upon finding a female, the male latches onto the female, fusing the tissue and circulatory system with the larger female. The male lives off the female’s nutrients while the female controls when the male is able to release the sperm to fertilize her eggs. Eventually the male’s internal organs dissolve, leaving behind “warts” fused to the female.

Mary Burridge, Assistant Curator of Ichthyology at ROM, describes the angler fish’s reproductive cycle.