What Makes Angler Fish So Special?
Channel: New York Hall Of Science
Date: 24/05/2017

Well, that was terrifying! That was a Deep Sea Anglerfish. Lucky for you, you’ll never have to see this creature, unless you find yourself 1 mile below sea level!
 
They live in dark, trench-like waters that have 8 tons worth of pressure. That’s the same as 2 large elephants crushing you from every direction! There are over 200 different types of anglerfish. Although most of them reside in the Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans, some also live in one of the deepest, darkest trenches on earth, The Mariana Trench. It’s over 11,000 meters deep! It’s so deep that sunlight doesn’t even reach the bottom. 
 
Only creatures, such as the anglerfish, can survive the blinding darkness and crushing pressure of living that deep into the earth’s crust! The anglerfish has thrived in these conditions using an illuminating organ called the “esca.” The esca uses millions of living organisms called bioluminescent bacteria which help the anglerfish to see and lure its prey.
 
The male and female anglerfish are easy to tell apart. The female anglerfish is over three times the size of the male anglerfish! The females have mouths so big, they can swallow prey up to twice their size! Their expandable bellies can help them gobble up their prey in one bite. 
 
The male anglerfish is extremely dependent on the female anglerfish. The male anglerfish latches onto the female anglerfish with its sharp, hook-like teeth and over time, the male’s mouth dissolves into the female’s skin, connects to her bloodstream, and unites them. They end up losing their eyes and all organs except for the testes which the female keeps for when she is ready to mate. A female can carry up to 6 males on her body at a time while they get all their nourishment from her.
 
Although the angler fish can be one of the most vicious undersea animals, they are considered a seafood delicacy also known as “anko.” It’s popular in Ibaraki, Japan.
 
Angler fish are pretty unique creatures. Do you know some facts that weren’t mentioned in the video? What was your favorite fact about them? Share them in the comments section down below! 


Sources:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/anglerfish/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-BbpaNXbxg
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2010/05/23/general/ugly-seafood-just-doesnt-get-better/#.V_kfxBRg6yM
http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/anglerfish.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/maldives-beach-becomes-sea-of-stars-thanks-to-bioluminescent-phytoplankton-9072197.html -Bioluminescent Image
http://www.marianatrench.com/mariana_trench-oceanography.htm
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/forfun/creatures/facts/kids_guide_anglerfish.pdf
http://creatures-of-the-deep.wikia.com/wiki/File:Angler01.png -PNG Image
https://roshmihappylife.wordpress.com/short-stories/the-deep-sea/ -Deep Sea Image
http://animal-jam-clans-1.wikia.com/wiki/File:Gasp.png -Gasp Emoji
http://imagespng.com/Tagsearch/%20Animals -Elephant PNG
https://www.frogfish.ch/deepsea-anglerfish.html -Types Of Angler Fish Image
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/347340189983037728/ -Mariana Trench Map Image
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/08/filmmaker-james-cameron-aims-to-explore-oceans-deepest-parts/ -Depth Of Mariana Trench Image
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUVerZsbYiw -Nat Geo Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XCPK5Jy8yA&t=30s -Angler Fish Eating Prey Video
http://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/remarkably-bizarre-deep-sea-creatures-freak-show/ -Male and Female Angler Fish Image
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/anglerfish -Dead Angler Fish Image
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPbExz-5LWQ -Frog Fish Eating Flounder Video
http://mudfooted.com/deep-sea-anglerfish-bizarre-reproduction/ -Male Angler Fish
http://journeydownthescale.info/mngarif-angler-fish-breeding.asp -Male Close Up Image
http://www.hey.fr/tools/emoji/iphone.html -Medical Mask Emoji
http://pixar.wikia.com/wiki/Anglerfish -Finding Nemo Image
http://occurso.info/reel-combo/the-fish-with-the-light/ -Red Angler Fish Image
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLHo57xe2sU&t=59s -Angler Fish Bites Man Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqPMP9X-89o -Angler Fish Swimming Video
http://manaluzufrin.blogspot.com/2014/10/makhluk-seram-dari-dasar-laut-dalam.html -Angler Fish Luring Prey Image
https://emojiisland.com/products/speech-bubble-emoji-icon -Comment Bubble Image
http://zoomingjapan.com/travel/ushiku-daibutsu/ -Ibaraki Japan Map
http://i1.wp.com/www.7continents5oceans.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/5-Oceans.jpeg?resize=808%2C513 -Atlantic and Antarctic Ocean Map Image
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/536702480574012616/ -Scary Angler Fish Image
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_images.jsp?cntn_id=131247&org=NSF -Deep Trench Image