A fish with a lantern on its forehead. Monkfish and seafood salpicon

Angler, or anglerfish, is a predatory sea bottom fish that belongs to the class ray-finned fish, subclass new-finned fish, infraclass bony fish, order anglerfish, suborder anglerfish, family anglerfish, genus anglerfish (large anglerfish), or monkfish (lat. Lophius).

Etymology of the Latin name sea devils not fully elucidated. Some scientists are of the opinion that it comes from a modified Greek word "λοφίο", meaning a ridge that resembles the jaws of this fish. Other researchers associate it with a kind of ridge running along the entire back. The popular name “anglerfish” appeared due to the long and modified first ray of the dorsal fin, equipped with a bait (eska) and resembling a fisherman’s fishing rod. And thanks to the unusual and unattractive appearance of the predator’s head, it was nicknamed “monkfish”. Due to the fact that angler fish can move along the seabed, pushing off from it with slightly modified fins, in some countries fishermen call them.

Monkfish (fish) – description, structure, photo. What does a monkfish look like?

Sea devils are fairly large predatory fish that live on the bottom and reach a length of 1.5-2 meters. The weight of monkfish is 20 kilograms or more. The body and huge head with small gill slits are quite strongly flattened in the horizontal direction. In almost all species of anglerfish, the mouth is very wide and opens almost over the entire circumference of the head. The lower jaw is less mobile than the upper jaw and is slightly pushed forward. Predators are armed with rather large sharp teeth that are curved inward. Thin and flexible jaw bones enable fish to swallow prey that is almost twice their size.

The monkfish's eyes are small, set close together, and located on the top of the head. The dorsal fin consists of two parts separated from each other, one of which is soft and shifted towards the tail, and the second is folded into six rays, three of which are located on the head itself, and three immediately behind it.

The anterior spiny ray of the dorsal fin is strongly shifted towards the upper jaw and represents a kind of “rod”; on its top there is a leathery formation (esca), in which luminous bacteria live, which are bait for potential prey.

Thanks to pectoral fins Monkfish are reinforced by several skeletal bones, they are quite powerful and allow the fish not only to burrow into the bottom soil, but also to move along it by crawling or using peculiar jumps. The pelvic fins are less in demand during the movement of the angler fish and are located on the throat.

It is noteworthy that the body of the anglerfish, painted in dark gray or dark brown colors (often with chaotically located light spots), is covered not with scales, but with various spine-like projections, tubercles, and long or curly leathery fringe, similar to algae. This camouflage allows the predator to easily set up an ambush in thickets of algae or on a sandy bottom.

Where does the anglerfish (monkfish) live?

The distribution area of the genus of anglerfish is quite extensive. It includes the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the shores of Canada and the United States of America, the eastern Atlantic, whose waves crash on the shores of Iceland and the British Isles, and the cooler depths of the North, Barents and Baltic seas. Certain species of monkfish are found off the coast of Japan and Korea, in the waters of the Okhotsk and yellow sea, in the eastern part Pacific Ocean and in the Black Sea. Anglerfish also live in the depths of the Indian Ocean, which covers the southern tip African continent. Depending on the species, sea devils live at depths from 18 meters to 2 kilometers or more.

What does monkfish (anglerfish) eat?

In terms of feeding, sea devils are predators. The basis of their diet consists of fish that live in the bottom layer of water. The stomachs of anglerfish include gerbils and small stingrays and small sharks, eels, flounders, cephalopods(squid, cuttlefish) and various crustaceans. Sometimes these predators rise closer to the surface of the water, where they hunt for herring or mackerel. Including cases where anglerfish even attacked birds peacefully rocking on the sea waves.

All sea devils hunt from ambush. Thanks to their natural camouflage, it is impossible to notice them when they lie motionless on the bottom, buried in the ground or hidden in thickets of algae. Potential prey is attracted by a luminous bait, which is located at the end of a kind of fishing rod - an elongated ray of the anterior dorsal fin. The moment a passing crustacean, invertebrate or fish touches the esky, the monkfish sharply opens its mouth. As a result of this, a vacuum is formed, and a stream of water, along with the victim, who does not have time to do anything, rushes into the mouth of the predator, because the time it takes does not exceed 6 milliseconds.

Taken from the site: bestiarium.kryptozoologie.net

While waiting for prey, the monkfish fish is able to remain absolutely motionless for a long time and hold its breath. The pause between breaths can last from one to two minutes.

Previously, it was believed that the monkfish “fishing rod” with bait, movable in all directions, serves to attract prey, and anglerfish open their large mouths only when they touch the fishing rod of curious fish. However, scientists were able to establish that the mouth of predators automatically opens, even if any object passing by touches the bait.

Angler fish are quite greedy and gluttonous. This often leads to their death. Having a mouth and a stomach large sizes, the monkfish is capable of capturing enough big catch. Because of the sharp and long teeth, the hunter cannot let go of his prey, which does not fit in his stomach, and chokes on it. There are known cases when fishermen found prey in the belly of a caught predator that was only 7-10 cm smaller than the monkfish itself.

Types of sea devils (anglers), names and photos

The genus of anglers (lat. Lophius) today includes 7 species:

Lophius americanus (Valenciennes, 1837) - American anglerfish (American monkfish)
Lophius budegassa (Spinola, 1807) – black-bellied anglerfish, or southern European anglerfish, or budegassa anglerfish
Lophius gastrophysus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1915) – West Atlantic anglerfish
Lophius litulon (Jordan, 1902) – Far Eastern monkfish, yellow anglerfish, Japanese anglerfish
Lophius piscatorius (Linnaeus, 1758) - European monkfish
Lophius vaillanti (Regan, 1903) - South African anglerfish
Lophius vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1837) - Cape (Burmese) monkfish

Below is a description of several types of anglers.

Monkfish American (American anglerfish) ( Lophius americanus)

This is dimersal (bottom) predatory fish, having a length from 0.9 m to 1.2 m with a body weight of up to 22.6 kg. Thanks to its huge rounded head and body tapering towards the tail, the American anglerfish resembles a tadpole. The lower jaw of the large wide mouth is strongly pushed forward. It is noteworthy that even with its mouth closed, this predator’s lower teeth are visible. Both the upper and lower jaws are literally studded with sharp thin teeth, inclined deep into the mouth and reaching a length of 2.5 cm. Interestingly, in the lower jaw, almost all monkfish teeth big size and are arranged in three rows. On the upper jaw, large teeth grow only in the center, and in the lateral areas they are smaller, and there are also small teeth at the top of the oral cavity. The gills, lacking covers, are located immediately behind the pectoral fins. Monkfish eyes small size directed upwards. Like all anglerfish, the first ray is elongated and has a leathery growth that glows due to the bacteria that have settled there. The leathery coverings of the back and sides are colored chocolate brown in various shades and covered with small light or dark spots, while the belly is dirty white. The lifespan of this species of monkfish can reach 30 years. The American anglerfish's distribution range includes northwestern part Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to 670 m, stretching from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Quebec to the northeastern coast of the North American state of Florida. This predator thrives in waters with temperatures from 0°C to +21°C on sandy, gravel, clay or silty bottom sediments, including those covered with destroyed shells of dead mollusks.

European anglerfish (European monkfish) ( Lophius piscatorius)

Reaches a length of 2 meters, and the weight of individual individuals exceeds 20 kg. The entire body of these predators is flattened in the direction from the back to the belly. The size of the wide head can be 75% of the length of the entire fish. The European monkfish has a huge crescent-shaped mouth with a large number of thin, pointed, slightly hooked teeth, and a lower jaw that is significantly pushed forward. Slit-like gill openings are located behind the wide, skeletal-reinforced pectoral fins that allow European anglerfish to move along or burrow along the bottom. The soft, scaleless body of these bottom-dwelling fish is covered with a variety of bony spines or leathery growths of various lengths and shapes. The same “decorations” in the form of a beard border the jaws and lips, as well as the side surface of the head of the European monkfish. The posterior dorsal fin is opposite the anal. The anterior dorsal fin consists of 6 rays, the first of which is located on the anglerfish’s head and can reach a length of 40-50 cm. At its top there is a leather “bag” that glows in the dark layers of bottom water. The coloration of individuals varies somewhat depending on the habitat of these fish. The back and sides, covered with dark spots, can be colored brown, reddish or greenish-brown, in contrast to the belly, which is white. The European monkfish lives in the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the shores of Europe, from the coast of Iceland to the Gulf of Guinea. These “cute creatures” can be found not only in the cold waters of the North, Baltic and Barents Seas or in the English Channel, but also in the warmer Black Sea. European anglers live at depths from 18 to 550 m.

Black-bellied anglerfish (South European anglerfish, Budegassa anglerfish) ( Lophius budegassa)

In structure and form, this species marine fish It is very close to its European relative, but unlike it, it has more modest dimensions and a head that is not so wide relative to the body. The length of the monkfish ranges from 0.5 to 1 meter. The structure of the jaw apparatus is no different from individuals of other species. This species of monkfish gets its name from its distinctive black abdomen, while its back and sides are colored in varying shades of reddish brown or pinkish gray. Depending on their habitat, the body of some individuals may be covered with dark or light spots. The leathery outgrowths of a yellowish or light sandy color that border the jaws and head of the black-bellied anglerfish are short in length and located quite sparsely. The life expectancy of the black-bellied monkfish does not exceed 21 years. This species is widespread in the waters of the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean throughout the entire space - from Great Britain and Ireland to the coast of Senegal, where monkfish lives at depths of 300 to 650 m. The black-bellied anglerfish can also be found in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas at depths of up to 1 kilometers.

Far Eastern monkfish (yellow anglerfish, Japanese anglerfish) ( Lophius litulon)

It is a typical inhabitant of the waters of the Sea of Japan, Okhotsk, Yellow and East China Seas, as well as a small part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, where it is found at depths ranging from 50 m to 2 km. Individuals of this species grow up to 1.5 meters in length. Like all representatives of the genus Lophius, the Japanese monkfish has a horizontally flattened body, but unlike its relatives it has more a long tail. Sharp teeth curved towards the throat in the lower, forward jaw are arranged in two rows. The leathery body of the yellow anglerfish, covered with numerous outgrowths and bony tubercles, is colored in a single color. Brown color, over which light spots with darker outlines are randomly scattered. Unlike the back and sides, the belly of Far Eastern monkfish is light. The dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are dark in color, but have light tips.

Cape Anglerfish, or Burmese monkfish, ( Lophius vomerinus)

It is distinguished by a huge flattened head and a rather short tail, occupying less than one third of the length of the entire body. The size of adult individuals does not exceed 1 meter. Their life expectancy is no more than 11 years. The Cape anglerfish lives at depths of 150 to 400 m in the southeastern Atlantic and western Indian Ocean, along the coasts of Namibia, Mozambique and the Republic of South Africa. The light brown body of the Burmese monkfish is strongly flattened from the back towards the abdomen and covered with a fringe of numerous leathery growths. The esca, located at the top of the long first ray of the dorsal fin, resembles a flap. The gill slits are located behind the pectoral fins and just below their level. The lower part of the body (abdomen) is lighter, almost white.

European anglerfish, or European angler(lat. Lophius piscatorius) is a predatory fish of the order Anglerfish. This species received the name “monkfish” because of its very unattractive appearance.

Fish edible. The meat is white, dense, boneless. Monkfish is especially popular in France.

Body length is up to 2 meters, more often 1-1.5 meters. Weight - up to 20 kilograms or more. The body of the anglerfish is naked, covered with numerous leathery outgrowths and bony tubercles. On both sides of the head, along the edge of the jaw and lips, there are fringed pieces of skin hanging down, moving in the water like algae, which makes it barely noticeable on the ground.

The body is flattened, compressed in the dorso-abdominal direction. The head is flat, wide, flattened at the top, making up approximately two-thirds of the length of the entire body. The mouth is large, in the shape of a semicircle with a protruding lower jaw and sharp, hooked teeth. The eyes are small. The gill openings look like two small slits located just behind the pectoral fins. Soft skin without scales; numerous skin fringes along the edge of the body.

The anterior dorsal fin consists of six rays, the first three rays being separate. The very first ray of the dorsal fin is transformed into a “fishing rod” (illicium) with a luminous “flashlight” (eska) at the end. The length of the illicium reaches 25% of the body length. The second dorsal fin (10-13) and anal (9-11 soft rays) fin are located opposite each other. The pectoral fins are greatly enlarged and widened at the end. They can perform rotational movements, which allows the fish to crawl along the bottom. The pelvic fins are located on the throat.

Coloring; the back is brownish, greenish-brown or reddish, with dark spots. The ventral side is white, except for the black posterior edge of the pectoral fins.

Distributed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Europe from Iceland and Barents Sea to the Gulf of Guinea and the Black Sea, North Sea, English Channel, Baltic Sea. It lives at a depth of 18–550 m.

Typical bottom dwellers, usually found on a sandy and muddy bottom, sometimes half-buried in it, as well as among algae and between rock fragments.

The main diet is fish. Capable of crawling and even “jumping” with the help of its arm-like pectoral fins. Most often, the monkfish lies motionless on the bottom. He is able to hold his breath for several minutes. Merging with the bottom, the monkfish lures prey to itself with an eska bait. When the prey swims up to the hunter, the angler opens its mouth in a split second and sucks in water along with the victim.

Spawning occurs in late winter and spring (at a depth of up to 180 m). The eggs are spawned by females in the form of a gelatinous strip up to 9 m long and 90 cm wide. Young fish transition to bottom life at a length of 5-6 cm.

Reproduction of articles and photographs is permitted only with a hyperlink to the site:

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.

Monkfish has a very repulsive appearance, but is still used in cooking

general characteristics

There is one more the name of the fish with a flashlight on its head is an angler fish. 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

Distinctive feature monkfish is a slightly protruded 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 big 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.

Habitat deep sea fish with a flashlight 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, there are European anglerfish. 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 it to bury itself 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 sizes body (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 its high taste, monkfish meat has become popular, so environmentalists 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.
The anglerfish is a predatory fish that feeds on other types of fish.
Basic diet:
cod or sand lance;
slopes;
sharks;
acne;
crustaceans;
shellfish.

A fish with a lantern on its head is an ideal hunter. She is able to sit in ambush for hours. Natural coloring allows you to merge with the ground or plants. Monkfish exposes his rod and waits for the victim. 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.
Anglerfish breeding
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. In this he is helped by a large olfactory organ and huge eyes.
Ichthyologists do not know how long the search takes. As soon as the female is found, the male bites into her jaws. His tongue and lips completely grow into the body of the bride. She takes him completely dependent and supplies him through ingrown vessels nutrients. In the male, the intestines, jaws and eyes atrophy. The gills and heart work in his body - they supply the body with oxygen.

For a long time, female and male anglerfish were considered representatives different types
During spawning, the female spawns, and the male inseminates it with milk. This happens in winter and spring. 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 top layer water and feed on small crustaceans and fry. It is noteworthy that females can carry up to four males at the same time.

There are probably very few people who would not know about the existence of this mysterious and terrifying species marine life called "monkfish". But many people think that this is a fabulous creature, just a notion.

Actually it is not. In the photo fish "monkfish" 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. It will be discussed another time. Today our hero is a representative of ray-finned fish from the anglerfish order.

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 birthplace of European and American type anglerfish - 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 In the restaurant business, anglerfish meat is used 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

Anglers, when hungry, are able to catch larger prey than usual. And because of the structure of their teeth, they cannot release it back, and in the end they may even die.

Anglerfish belongs to the suborder Ceratioidei, order Lophiiformes, which includes more than 100 species. It lives in the ocean at depths of 1.5 to 3 km. Its body is spherical, flattened on the sides. The head is huge, occupying more than half of the total length. The mouth is terrifying, with long sharp

teeth. Bare skin has dark color, spines and plaques are characteristic only of some species. The “fishing rod”, which gives the order its name, is a modified first ray of the fin located on the back. Only females have it.

It is believed that the angler fish has an ugly shape with bulging eyes. The photo shows it after being raised from the depths. In her typical environment, she looks completely different. And we are assessing the consequences of the huge pressure difference (250 atmospheres) in the water column and on the surface.

The deep-sea anglerfish is an amazing creature. Females are hundreds of times larger than males. The females that were caught and removed from sea water, turned out to range from 5 to 100 cm in length, and males - from 1.6 to 5 cm. This is one of the manifestations of the second is illicium, in common parlance - the fishing rod of females. It is worth noting that it ends glowing due to

bioluminescent bacteria "bait". The angler fish is able to “turn it on and off” by feeding a peculiar gland with blood. The length of the illicium varies among different species. In some, it can lengthen and shorten, luring the prey directly into the hunter's mouth.

The diet of these fish is also amazing. Females eat crustaceans and occasionally mollusks. Their stomach can increase in size several times. There are cases when they swallowed victims much larger than themselves. Such greed led to death, because... the female was choking on “dinner”, but could not let it out of herself, long teeth detained. Males, given their small size, also have setaceous jaws.

The angler fish reproduces in the spring and summer. Females lay small eggs, males fertilize them. From the depths, the eggs float to the surface layer (up to 200 m), where there is more opportunity to feed. This is where the larvae appear. By the time of metamorphosis, the grown juveniles descend to a depth of 1 km. After the transformation, the angler fish will go to even greater depths, where it will reach sexual maturity and live its characteristic life.

Anglerfish is one of the manifestations of diversity natural world. It is no coincidence that this way of existence, which seems to us wonderful, has been developed over centuries. Much remains unknown. Perhaps someday an explanation will be found.

$mob_info$