Ah yes, this is a normal looking creature. Photo: Ben Estes/Crystal Cove State Park/Facebook
The deep-sea has a lot of weird shit in it. Well, weird to us, I suppose, because we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s down there, but maybe not weird to whatever’s down there, because they’re down there. We’re probably weird to them. We don’t generally see the creatures of the deep sea, though, because they’re so deep. Every now and then, however, something washes up on a beach somewhere that drives home the fact that we’re sharing our planet with creatures that look like aliens. Take, for example, the deep-sea anglerfish that washed up in Laguna Beach in early May.
Anglerfish are an exceedingly weird animal. They live in one of the world’s least hospitable places, at depths of up to 3,000 feet, and they’ve evolved to not only survive, but thrive. There are around 200 species of anglerfish, although fewer than six have ever been captured on camera in their environment. Back in 2018, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) captured a rare encounter with an even rarer species on camera. It was a species of anglerfish called the Melanocetus, or Black Sea Devil.
Anglerfish, which are named for the dorsal spine that hangs in front of their mouths, use a glowing bit of flesh to attract other fish. Once they’re lured in, the anglerfish uses its huge head, gaping mouth, and sharp teeth to grab hold of the unlucky victim. They have another strange attribute, too — their bodies are incredibly soft, relative to their bony head and mouth. Because of that, they can eat and digest other fish up to twice their size.
Only the females carry the glowing lantern, and the males are much smaller than the females. The mating ritual is… eerie, to say the least. Males are sexual parasites, which, in the human world, would be both a good insult and a good band name. Once a young male anglerfish encounters a female, it latches on with his teeth. Slowly, the male begins to fuse physically, eventually using her bloodstream. The male loses his eyes and all of his internal organs except his testes. The males sole purpose in life is reproduction.
The anglerfish that washed up on a Laguna Beach last Friday was, as you’d expect, a surprise. It was found on the sand of Crystal Cove State Park’s Marine Protected Area, and is thought to be a Pacific Football fish, which is a species of anglerfish. Although the name is far less distinguished than Black Sea Devil (also a good band name), it’s still an incredibly rare find. “To see an actual anglerfish intact is very rare and it is unknown how or why the fish ended up on the shore,” wrote Crystal Cove State Park on Facebook.
The fish’s body is being held by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, where it will be studied. “Seeing this strange and fascinating fish is a testament to the diversity of marine life lurking below the water’s surface,” the Crystal Cove State Park post continued, “and as scientists continue to learn more about these deep sea creatures, it’s important to reflect on how much is still to be learned from our wonderful ocean.”
