Fame fishing

An anglerfish is among the few sea creatures that excite marine biologists when they see it. That’s because it lives very deep in the ocean — from 200 to 2,000 meters below the water surface — and is rarely seen.

The deep-sea dweller also has a uniquely grotesque look plus a large mouth full of sharp teeth and “a bacteria-laden, bioluminescent lure on its head to attract and catch prey in the dark realms it lives in,” Oceanographic reports.

Last month, shark researchers were surprised to see an adult humpback anglerfish or Melanocetus Johnsonii near the surface, just two kilometers off the coast of Tenerife, Spain. It was the first-ever sighting of the species in broad daylight, according to Oceanographic.

Marine biologist Laia Valor told the EFE news agency that they “spent a couple of hours with it” before the anglerfish died.

Another deep-sea fish that is as exciting to see as the anglerfish is the blobfish.

Found mainly off the coast of southeastern Australia and Tasmania at depths of 600 to 1,200 meters, the blobfish has a reputation for being the ugliest fish. When out of the water, it looks “like a big, blobby tadpole, just a mass of pale, jelly-like flesh with puffy, loose skin, a big nose and beady, staring eyes,” CNN reports.

The appearance is due to its lack of strong bones and thick muscles to keep its shape, according to CNN. It is the water pressure that maintains its relatively normal appearance in the depths of the sea.

The blobfish managed to improve its image when the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust recently held its annual fish popularity contest for New Zealanders.

Kiwis were asked to vote for their favorite local fish. After two weeks of voting that ended on 16 March, the blobfish won with 1,286 votes, beating out the orange roughly by 300 votes, to earn the title of New Zealand’s “Fish of the Year.”

WJG @tribunephl_wjg