An Angler fish is very scary looking and actually appeared in the famous movie, “Finding Nemo”. Their  scientific name is  Lophiiformes. They have really sharp teeth and have really small eyes. They can be about a size of 8-40 inches. They weigh up to 110 pounds.

There are over 200 species of these fish in the ocean. Some live in shallow or tropical environments. They are usually dark grey or dark brown in color. They have huge heads and crescent shaped mouths. Some angler fish can be larger than others up to 3.3 feet in length; or others can be small most likely less than a foot.

Only the female wear the lure on them. It’s to attract their prey so they can eat them. They can swallow their prey that is twice their size. Another fact is that the males are smaller than the female angler fish. When the a young male angler fish encounters a female angler fish he latches onto her with his sharp teeth. Over time, the male physically fuses with the female, connecting to her skin and bloodstream and losing his eyes and all his internal organs except the testes. A female will carry six or more males on her body.

Deep sea angler fish are not eaten by people, and there is no evidence to suggest that people have any negative affects on their populations. They are likely naturally rare, however, any changes to the deep-sea environment could threaten this interesting species.

Information: Anglerfish

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