A fish that normally lives more than 3,000 feet beneath the surface of the ocean has washed up on a beach in Laguna Beach, Caliifornia. scary-looking anglerfish tries to stay as far away from human contact as possible, which made the rare sighting even more exciting for enthusiasts of marine life.
- Anglerfish are pretty cool. There are more than 200 different species of anglerfish out there, and what makes them so awesome is how they hunt. They have a bait of sorts hanging over their mouths that send out a light of sorts to other creatures. They mistake that for tasty food, so they swim closer, only for the anglerfish to chomp them down. Amazing, right?
- The fish that washed up in California is a Pacific Football Fish. They tend to stay down where no light can penetrate, which means humans rarely get the chance to see them up close. “To see an actual angler fish intact is very rare and it is unknown how or why these fish ended up onshore,” a spokesperson for Crystal Cove State Park said on Facebook.
- It goes to show how diverse ocean life really is. The Facebook statement continued by pointing out how important it is to protect our marine life. After all, as global warming worsens, it’s only a matter of time before we lose all of our wildlife diversity. “To see an actual angler fish intact is very rare and it is unknown how or why these fish ended up onshore. Seeing this strange and fascinating fish is a testament to the curious diversity of marine life lurking below the water’s surface in California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) 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 and mysterious ocean!” the statement continued.
- Hilariously, this bad boy turned up on Friday the 13th. Given its ferocious appearance and those very sharp teeth, it was perfect timing for the anglerfish to make an appearance. I wouldn’t want to come face to face with that guy in the deep dark!
