Overview
The humpback anglerfish lives in the midnight zone, a mile or more down where no sunlight ever reaches. The female grows a built-in fishing rod on her head tipped with a glowing bulb, which she waves to lure curious prey close in the dark.
Food is scarce so far down, so this anglerfish is built to make the most of every meal, with an enormous mouth and long, inward-curving teeth.
| Where it lives | Deep open ocean (the midnight zone) |
| Range | Deep seas worldwide |
| Adult size | Female about 7 in (18 cm); males tiny |
| Diet | Fish and crustaceans |
| Lifespan | Not well known |
| Depth | About 1,000-4,000 m |
| Keep at home? | No, a creature of the crushing deep |
The glowing lure
The bulb at the tip of the rod glows with the help of tiny light-making bacteria that live inside it. In the pitch black, a small animal drawn to the light swims straight toward the anglerfish's waiting mouth.
A mouth bigger than its body
The anglerfish can open a huge mouth and stretch its stomach to swallow prey nearly as large as itself, an important trick when the next meal might be a long time coming.
The vanishing male
The fearsome anglerfish in pictures is always a female. In some anglerfish the male is a tiny fish that bites onto the much larger female and slowly fuses with her body, sharing her blood and living on as a permanent mate.
Life in the midnight zone
Down here the water is near freezing, the pressure would crush a person, and darkness is total. The anglerfish is perfectly built for this world, which is exactly why it can never be kept in an aquarium.
Fun facts
- The glowing lure shines thanks to tiny light-making bacteria living inside the bulb.
- The scary anglerfish everyone pictures is always a female.
- Its teeth angle inward so that prey, once caught, cannot back out.
- In some species the tiny male bites onto the female and fuses with her, sharing her blood for life.
- It can swallow prey almost as big as itself, vital where meals are rare in the deep.
Frequently asked questions
How does an anglerfish make light?
The glowing bulb on its lure is full of tiny bacteria that give off light. The anglerfish provides them a home, and their glow draws prey close in the dark.
Is the scary anglerfish male or female?
Female. The famous anglerfish with the glowing lure and big teeth is always a female; the males are tiny by comparison.
How big is a deep-sea anglerfish?
Smaller than you might think. Females of this species are about 7 inches (18 cm) long, and the males are only a few centimetres.
Can an anglerfish live in an aquarium?
No. It lives a mile or more deep, in near-freezing, pitch-black water under crushing pressure that no home aquarium could ever recreate.
