Monkfish fish is a predator from the order of anglerfish. About seven species of this monster are now known. They got their name for their terrifying appearance and method of hunting. The fish is one of the five horrors of the underwater world and lives in the depths, next to the owners of the bottom - deep-sea stingrays.
Monkfish - photo
Nature generously and eeriely decorated the devil fish. Outwardly, it looks a little like a caricatured huge flounder. Weight can reach 20 kg and up to 2 meters in length. Smooth and slippery, greenish or reddish-brown, the body is completely covered with some kind of growths and warts. Sort of like underwater camouflage. The entire fish, from head to tail, has a leathery fringe. Which, when moving, allows it to practically merge with the algae and makes it invisible. The huge mouth is crescent-shaped and full of sharp, hooked teeth set at an internal angle for easy capture of food.
The anglerfish got its unusual name for its no less unusual way of hunting its smaller underwater brothers. The head has a peculiar process, one of the isolated rays of the front fin, which visually very much resembles a fishing rod. At the end of which there is a sac filled with floating glowing bacteria. The light breaks through the blanket of chromatophores and lures prey like a moth. There are even varieties of these fish with folding fishing rods, glowing body parts and even glowing teeth. A flashlight above the mouth shows the way for the fish: where it needs to swim and be immediately swallowed.
The fish has not only a large mouth, but also a dimensionless stretchable stomach. Sometimes this becomes the cause of their death - the prey is forever too tough for them and simply sharpens it in the mouth, blocking their breathing. However, appearance and method of hunting are not all the oddities of the monkfish fish. It turns out that all these delights are given by nature only to female anglerfish. The male turned out to be a microscopically small Aceratida fish, for a long time considered one of the subspecies and living at a depth of two hundred meters. Every year, huge females sink to the bottom, where they allow males to literally sink their teeth into their bodies. After a couple of weeks, Aceratida loses its fins as unnecessary, loses its eyes, its intestines stop functioning, and it becomes one with the female. The male now receives all nutrition from the general circulatory system. On the surface, the female lays eggs, which the male moistens with his milk. Having fertilized it, the small fish separates and dies. Ichthyologists can only explain the strange marriage by the fact that at depths it is very difficult for underwater inhabitants to find a partner. So this kind of symbiotic marriage appeared.
Despite the terrifying appearance, gourmets share numerous recipes for preparing various dishes. They especially love it in France. The meat of devil fish is practically boneless, it is white, a little tough. With a peculiar pleasant aftertaste. Cooks use only the carcass and tail, immediately cutting off the eerie head. A fish is just a fish.
Unusual fish live in almost all seas; they are also found in our Barents and Black Seas, although quite rarely.
The depths of the ocean hide a large number of unusual creatures. They have a frightening appearance, unusual behavior. A fish with a flashlight on its head is called a monkfish. She has a very repulsive appearance, which does not prevent her from eating meat of this species. In European and Asian countries, this fish is considered a delicacy. She received such recognition for her high taste qualities.
Angler has a very repulsive appearance, but is still used in cooking
general characteristics
There's one more thing the name of the fish with a flashlight on its head is an anglerfish. This is a predator that belongs to the order of anglerfish and the class of bony fish. Lives at the bottom of the sea. It reaches two meters in length. Average weight - 20 kg. Large individuals weighing 57 kg are also known.
The body is flattened, compressed in the abdominal direction. The mouth is several times larger than the head.
The anglerfish's jaw is inactive, the mouth is several times larger than the head
A distinctive feature of the monkfish is its slightly protruding lower jaw. She is inactive. The mouth is decorated with sharp teeth that are slightly curved inward. The jaws have flexible and thin bones that allow the anglerfish to swallow large fish. There are small eyes at the top of the head.
A separate process grows from the dorsal fin. It is shifted to the upper jaw and represents a fishing rod. There is a leathery formation on it - it serves as bait and is a bag of mucus, in which glowing bacteria live. The angler can turn off the light for a while so as not to attract the attention of large predators.
The habitat of deep sea flashlight fish is varied. It can be found in countries such as:
- Canada;
- Japan;
- Korea.
Some representatives of the species are found in the waters of the Black and Yellow Seas. It can live at different depths.
Angler fish can live at different depths Main representatives of the species
Ichthyologists distinguish several varieties of anglerfish. In addition to the American monkfish, the European anglerfish is also distinguished. His body is flattened from back to belly. It grows up to two meters, its weight exceeds 20 kg. He has a huge crescent-shaped mouth. Powerful pectoral fins allow him to bury himself in the sand. The most common individuals are brown in color. Lives only in the Atlantic Ocean.
Black-bellied anglerfish are similar to their closest relatives. They have a wide head and small body size (individual length 50 cm). Characteristic feature is the wide abdominal part. Painted in gray or beige colors. There is no rod on the head.
The Burmese monkfish is distinguished by its flattened head and short tail. The length of the individual does not exceed one meter. The body is covered with leathery fringe. The lower part of the body is white, the upper part is dark.
The terrible appearance of anglerfish has given rise to a lot of superstitions. Many people believe that monkfish attack swimmers. During periods of hunger, fish rise to the top layer of water and can bite a person. At other times, the anglerfish lives on the bottom and does not collide with the drivers.
Due to high taste qualities Monkfish meat has become popular, so environmentalists have proposed a ban on fishing to preserve the species. It has been illegal to harvest anglerfish in the UK since 2007.
Nutritional Features
A fish with a flashlight on its head is a predator. Therefore, its main food is other marine inhabitants. The monkfish rises to the upper layer of water, where herring and mackerel become its prey. Ichthyologists noted a case when an anglerfish attacked birds that landed on the water.
Angler – predatory fish, feeds on other types of fish
Basic diet:
- cod or sand lance;
- stingrays;
- sharks;
- acne;
- crustaceans;
- shellfish
A fish with a lantern on its head is an ideal hunter. She can sit in ambush for hours. Natural coloring allows you to blend in with the soil or plants. The monkfish puts out its fishing rod and waits for its prey. As soon as the fish grab the bait, they immediately swallow it. A special feature of the anglerfish is the ability to hold its breath for several minutes.
Reproduction of anglerfish
Representatives of this species are distinguished by special reproduction. Females and males are very different from each other and ichthyologists have long considered them to be different fish. When the male reaches the age of sexual maturity, he goes in search of a life partner. A large olfactory organ and huge eyes help him in this.
Ichthyologists do not know how long the search takes. Once a female is discovered, the male latches onto her with his jaws. His tongue and lips completely grow into the bride's body. She takes him completely dependent on him and supplies him with nutrients through ingrown vessels. The male's intestines, jaws and eyes atrophy. The gills and heart work in his body - they supply the body with oxygen.
Female and male anglerfish have long been considered representatives of different species
During spawning, the female lays eggs, and the male inseminates her with milk. This happens in winter and spring. The caviar comes out in the form of a strip. Its length can reach 9 meters. Young fish switch to a bottom lifestyle when their body length is 6 cm. Before this, they live in the upper layer of water and feed on small crustaceans and fry. It is noteworthy that females can carry up to four males at a time.
There are probably very few people who would not know about the existence of this mysterious and terrifying species sea creatures called "monkfish". But many people think that this is a fairy-tale creature, just an idea.
Actually this is not true. The photo shows the monkfish fish in all its splendor. It really exists, but at great depths and in the darkness of the sea, probably because of its ugly appearance, which is why it has such a name, scientists tried their best.
However, under this name, there is already an inhabitant of the aquatic expanses, this is a mollusk. We will talk about it another time. Today our hero is a representative of ray-finned fish from the order Anglerfishes.
Appearance Features
When you look at a monkfish, you immediately notice the presence of a growth on the head with a luminous tip in front of the ugly mouth, the so-called “fishing rod” for their shaped similarity.
With its help, the angler lures the prey and catches it. Hence the common name - anglerfish.
Monkfish fish reaches a length of up to 2 meters and weighs approximately 20 kg. The body shape of the anglerfish is slightly flattened. As a matter of fact, he is far from handsome in appearance and looks, to put it mildly, creepy.
His body is covered with ugly skin growths that resemble driftwood and algae. His head is too large in relation to his body and is unpleasant, as is his mouth. The scaleless skin is a dark spotted brown color with a green or red tint; on the abdomen it is slightly lighter, closer to white.
A wide mouth with sharp, huge teeth pointing inward and perioral folds that constantly move for camouflage. The eyes are small, the visual ability is underdeveloped, as is the function of smell. This is such a cute monkfish.
The Anglerfish's Home
The homeland of the European and American species of anglerfish is the Atlantic Ocean. However, it was noticeable off the European coast, and off the Icelandic coast, and even in the Baltic, Black, North and Barents Seas.
The Far Eastern species of anglerfish has taken root well along the Japanese and Korean coasts, in the Okhotsk, Yellow, and South China Seas.
Living conditions and character of the anglerfish in its native environment
Sea devils live in underwater depths from 50 to 200 m, closer to the very bottom, its native element, where it can lie in complete peace on a sandy or muddy bed, or among stones.
But don’t think that he is lying inactive. This is his way of hunting for prey. The angler lies motionless and waits. And the moment the prey swims nearby, it instantly pounces on it and absorbs it.
And it happens that with the help of fins, it jumps and begins to chase the victim and successfully overtakes it. Anglers are predatory fish.
Anglerfish food
Basically, the diet of monkfish fish consists of smaller fish: Katrans, silversides, galkans, stingrays, etc. Lured by the light of the anglerfish, the small fish fall straight into its mouth.
Monkfish will not disdain crustacean mollusks. During special periods, Zhora can supplement its menu with herring or mackerel and even waterfowl.
Features of procreation
Male anglerfish are much smaller in size. To fertilize eggs, they need to find a mate and not miss her, so they literally bite into her forever.
After some time, they grow into each other, forming a single whole, as a result of which part of the male’s organs dies. Nutrients are transferred through the blood from the female.
The angler-husband only needs to fertilize the eggs at a certain point.
During the sexually mature period, to procreate, female anglerfish descend to depths of almost 2000 m to lay eggs. A female anglerfish can lay a clutch of approximately 3 million eggs, which forms a wide ribbon of about 10 m with cells in the form of hexagons (honeycombs).
After some time, these so-called honeycombs are destroyed. As a result, the eggs become free and are carried in all directions by currents.
A few days later, tiny larvae are born from the eggs, and after 4 months they are already fry. The fry, 6 cm long, independently sink to the bottom of shallow water.
Anglerfish and people
Hunting for people is not a vital necessity for anglers; it is not his style. But a person can actually get wounded if he gets stuck on a monkfish thorn.
However, to the most annoying visitors, he can show his sharp teeth in practice, dashingly grabbing the curious one.
In America and some European countries V restaurant business They use anglerfish meat as a delicacy that tastes like lobster. In Asian countries, monkfish is used in cooking. Because of this, there is a real hunt for such a creepy-looking fish.
Curious facts
Anglerfish, when hungry, are able to catch prey large sizes, than usual. And because of the structure of their teeth, they cannot release it back, and in the end they may even die.
Today we are talking about angler fish. And all because there was news that for the first time it was filmed in its natural habitat at a depth of 600 meters using special underwater equipment!
Angler fish are a completely unusual order of fish.
They live deep, deep in the water and look rather unattractive. They have a very large flattened head, and the upper jaw can extend! But the most interesting thing is how the angler fish hunts. There is a bait on his back - once one feather from his dorsal fin separated from the others and turned into a “fishing rod”, at the end of which a small “flashlight” formed.
In fact, it is a gland that looks like a transparent sac, inside of which there are bacteria. They may or may not glow, depending on the anglerfish itself, which can control the bacteria by dilating or constricting blood vessels. If the vessels expand, more oxygen enters the “flashlight”, it shines brightly, and if they narrow, its light disappears. And this “flashlight” in complete darkness lures prey to the anglerfish. As soon as a fish or any other animal approaches the “flashlight,” the angler opens its mouth and sucks in the fish with lightning speed.
Anglerfish have the fastest cast of any animal! Here there is slow motion and you can see how quickly he eats what he managed to lure - once and done.
And its stomach can stretch so that a fish the size of an anglerfish can fit inside it.
All of these photos show a female anglerfish, only she has a "fishing rod". But this photo is interesting because both the female and the male are immediately visible in it. There he is - that little fish on the right.
And here is the same video in which he was first filmed in his own habitat. The angler fish here is small, or rather small - 9 cm.
I wonder if the children will notice a curious detail about this fish?
Look, his tooth fell out! In the video they joke that it is unclear whether a new one will grow or not, but one thing is clear: there are no tooth fairies in the ocean!
Fried medallions and tender pate, aromatic fillet under cheese sauce and sweet soup - these and many other monkfish delicacies are offered to visitors of expensive European and Asian restaurants. Light, with pinkish veins, low-calorie meat has decent taste.
Behind the strange name “monkfish” lies a most interesting representative of the class of ray-finned fish (order of anglerfish). Name inhabitant of oceanic and depths of the sea received for his rather scary appearance, cunning and incredible gluttony.
Description
The order of anglerfish consists of 11 known to science families, including about 120 species of fish. Monkfish fish is one of the largest predators. The catches usually contain individuals up to 1 meter long and weighing up to 10 kg, but there are also two-meter giants weighing up to 40 kg.
The entire order of anglerfish has a disproportionate body: the narrow rear part is flattened laterally, and the wider front part (including the head) is flattened in the dorsoventral direction.
A wide mouth with a slightly protruded lower jaw can open almost the entire circumference of the huge head, which is up to 2/3 of the length of the fish
The structure of the upper and lower jaws (in particular, flexible bones and a movable upper jaw) allow the monkfish to swallow prey that is significantly larger than itself.
The unsightly picture is complemented by sharp teeth of varying lengths curved inward.
The unique dorsal fin deserves special attention. It is divided into two independent parts. The back is not of scientific interest: it is soft, located near the tail, its rays are connected by a membrane.
The anterior part of the fin consists of six spiny rays. One of them is at the top of the head, just above the jaw.
The beam (scientifically called illicium or trapping outgrowth) is directed forward and looks like a kind of fishing rod
Thanks to its catching growth, the monkfish has another name - the anglerfish. In some species, the illicium can be retracted into a special hole on the back. The fish lures food with its own flashlight. It is called “esca”, located at the end of the illicium and is a leathery growth.
In fact, an esca is a mucus-filled gland that is inhabited by living microorganisms. Bacteria exhibit bioluminescence, requiring the presence of oxygen. During the hunt, the angler fish expands the walls of the arteries, providing a flow of oxygen to the gland.
The bacteria glow, creating a series of sequential flashes that attract potential prey
Having sated, the anglerfish narrows the walls of the blood vessels, and the glow stops.
For this feature monkfish is sometimes called lanternfish.
Another nickname for the anglerfish is associated with fins - frogfish.
Powerful muscular pectoral fins, reinforced by skeletal bones, allow the monkfish to move along the bottom like an amphibian: by special jumps or crawling, alternately rearranging the fins
Interesting fact! Nature has endowed only the female monkfish with a fishing rod and flashlight.
Sexual dimorphism and reproductive characteristics
Anatomical differences are manifested not only in the absence of an illicium with an esca in males, that is, the main devices for obtaining food. Dimorphism is, first of all, expressed by a significant difference in the growth of males and females. If the average length of females, depending on the species, varies from 0.5 to 1.5 meters, then male anglerfish have a height of 16 mm to 4 cm.
Scientists have long puzzled over why only female specimens of the mysterious fish end up in fishermen’s nets. The males were even credited with some semblance of intelligence, allowing them to avoid captivity.
Gradually, the male fuses with the female with his tongue and lips, and a little later with blood vessels. He loses vital organs (teeth, intestines, eyes) and becomes an appendage of the female, feeding on her blood.
In the photograph, the arrow indicates a male attached to a female. The picture gives an idea of the dimorphism of individuals of different sexes.
Being almost completely dissolved in the female, the male fertilizes the eggs at the right moment
The only function that the male retains is the ability to produce sperm. For this reason, a female often carries up to 4 males.
Females are very fertile. In the spring and summer, they lay up to 3 million eggs. Spawning occurs at a depth of at least 900 m. The eggs are connected into a ribbon-like clutch up to 12 meters long. The mucus-covered ribbon floats freely until the cell walls begin to disintegrate. The hatched larvae live in the surface layer of the reservoir for 2–3 weeks, feeding on pelagic eggs, copepods, and fry of other fish. Only after reaching a length of 8 cm, the juvenile angler fish descends to depth.
Range of the most common species
Observing monkfish is difficult due to the great depths of its habitat. Of the 120 species included in the order Anglerfishes, five are the most studied:
- European monkfish: distributed in the Black, Baltic, Barents, North Seas, in the European part of the Atlantic Ocean, and the English Channel. It lives at depths from 18 to 550 meters, where it grows up to 2 meters;
- black-bellied monkfish(other names: boudegassa anglerfish, southern European anglerfish): differs from its European counterpart in its more modest size: 0.5–1 meter. The species' distribution zone is the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain to Senegal (habitat depth 300–650 m). The fish can be found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas at a kilometer depth;
- American monkfish: lives in the waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean at depths of up to 670 meters. The maximum length of the American anglerfish is 1.2 meters, weight is about 23 kg;
- Far Eastern monkfish(yellow or Japanese anglerfish): a one and a half meter monster has chosen the waters of Japanese, Yellow, Sea of Okhotsk. Less common in Pacific Ocean in the area of Japan. Feels comfortable at a depth of 50 meters to 2 kilometers;
- Burmese monkfish(Cape anglerfish): lives in the western Indian and southeastern Atlantic oceans at depths of up to 400 meters. The size of the largest individual does not exceed 1 meter.
All species are of commercial importance. If previously monkfish were caught as bycatch, now valuable fish are purposefully caught using nets. Amateurs catch anglerfish with bottom gear using live bait.
How and who does monkfish hunt?
There are small, close-set eyes on the head of the anglerfish, but the deep-sea fish cannot boast of visual acuity. However, she does not need to chase prey. Monkfish prefers to ambush near the bottom.
Natural camouflage contributes to successful hunting.
The constantly moving long leathery folds around the monkfish's mouth mislead gullible fish. They mistake them for algae
The fish has no scales. Her body is covered with plaques, spines, tubercles and similar growths. Bare skin painted according to general background the bottom of the habitat. Usually these colors are brown, black, dark gray; in some species there are light spots randomly scattered throughout the body.
Interesting fact! While waiting for prey, the monkfish is capable of remaining motionless for a long time and even holding its breath. Pauses between breaths can be up to 2 minutes.
As soon as the inhabitants of the reservoir, attracted by the glow, come close to the mouth, the angler sharply opens its huge mouth and, along with the flow of water, draws in the prey. The victim does not have time to offer resistance: the entire process lasts no more than 6 milliseconds.
The diet of the monkfish consists of various crustaceans, as well as: flounder, eel, stingray, and sometimes small sharks. During the feeding season, the anglerfish may leave its usual depth. Then his prey becomes cod, mackerel, and herring.
There are known cases of fish attacking waterfowl. True, such gluttony costs the life of the angler himself: he dies from feathers stuck in his mouth
The terrifying appearance of the monkfish has given rise to many superstitions and legends. It is widely believed that the anglerfish attacks swimmers. The statement is only partly true. During the period of zhora, the fish rises to the surface of the reservoir and can actually bite a person. The rest of the time, the monkfish prefers to stay at depths beyond the reach of divers.
In the UK, since 2007, there has been a ban on the sale of monkfish meat in supermarkets. This is how environmentalists try to preserve unique fish.
