Black sea devils have been photographed for the first time by divers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Also called anglerfish, the black sea devils possess rod-like protrusions on their foreheads, tipped with a light, that are used to capture prey in dark conditions far underwater.
The remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts was exploring waters of the Monterey Bay in California when the rare fish were spotted 1,900 feet below the surface.
"This is the first time we've captured this fish on video in its habitat. Anglerfish like this Melanocetus are among the most rarely seen of all deep-sea fishes," Bruce Robinson, senior scientist at Mbari, said.
Melanocetus, a genus black sea devil anglerfish, have only been seen on camera a handful of times before these current images. These creatures may look terrifying, but the one captured on video is only about 3.5 inches in length. The animals are not believed to be especially rare in the wild, but they are rarely seen by human beings due to their isolation. Attempts at raising the creatures in captivity have not been highly successful.
"The deep sea is such a huge place. There might be thousands out there, and we're only looking at a very small part of it," Kim Fulton-Bennett, MBARI spokesperson, told the press.
Five species of Melanocetidae are known to exist, four of which live in temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. One species of the genus is known only from the Ross Sea in Antarctica. The name Melanocetidae is derived from the Ancient Greek words for black, melanos, and cetus, meaning sea monster or whale.
Light at the tip of the "fishing rod" utilized by black sea devils is generated by symbiotic bacteria in the family Vibrionaceae. Each species of anglerfish appears to utilize unique varieties of the bacteria.
When small fish or squids, attracted by the glowing light, approach close to the anglerfish, the predator can quickly reach out with sharp teeth to seize the prey.
Anglerfish caught the attention of the public in the 2003 movie Finding Nemo when Dory faces one in battle within a trench.
In October, MBARI explorers found an older jet engine nearly 300 feet under the water of the bay.
Video showing the black sea devil cruising deep in the waters off the Golden State was released on the MBARI YouTube channel.
"We believe that this is the first video footage ever made of this species alive and at depth," MBARI officials stated in the video description.
