Who would have thought a little Anglerfish would have brought hope to the world?!
Gunners & Ali - Ali's Random Facts
Monday, 17 February 2025 - 2 minutes
Researchers have captured rare footage of a Black Demon Anglerfish off the Coast of Tenerife.
Photographer David Jara Boguñá posted the footage to his socials, which went viral.
He said, "This could be the first recorded sighting in the world of a black demon or adult abyssal (Melanocetus johnsonii) alive, in broad daylight and on the surface!! 😱 A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive.
Apparently, the existing records to date correspond to larvae, dead adult specimens or recorded with submarines.
Emerging from the abyssal depths in vertical swimming, off just 2 km from the coast of Tenerife and during one of our pelagic shark research campaigns, @laiavlr spotted this creature on the surface. Following up, @vidamarina.tenerife , @jara.natura , and @sabu726 recorded spectacular and unusual images of the animal.
It is a true predator of the depths, which lives in the seabed between 200 and 2000 m deep and uses its dorsal appendix filled with symbiotic bioluminescent bacteria as bait to lure its prey, in the same way as in the popular movie Finding Nemo.
The motive for its presence in such shallow waters is uncertain. Maybe due to illness, an upstream, fleeing a predator, etc.
Widely distributed, it inhabits the tropical and subtropical seas around the world, being cited for the first time on the coasts of Madeira.
This surprising find left the crew indifferent and will be remembered forever."
Source: Instagram/David Jara Boguñá 🐬
