A new species of anglerfish has been discovered living deep beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. This fearsome-looking creature, which lives out its life in the dark waters, hidden from light, is a terrifying spectacle.
Lasiognathus Regan was found living between 3,300 and 4,900 feet deep in the northern waters of the Gulf. Although the newly-discovered animals may appear repugnant to many human eyes, the creatures are small. Three females of the previously-unknown species were found, ranging in size from a little over an inch long to less than four inches in length.
"Finding this new species reinforces the notion that our inventory of life in the vast ocean interior is far from complete. Every research trip is an adventure and another opportunity to learn about our planet and the varied creatures who call it home," Tracey Sutton of the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography said.
These fish have a unique method of catching prey. Because sunlight cannot reach these waters, the only light comes from bioluminescent creatures. Anglerfish are marked by an esca, a rod-like structure that extends out in front of their heads. When a small fish heads toward the light in search of food, the anglerfish quickly captures the unsuspecting target animal.
Biologists are uncertain if the newly-discovered creatures are capable of independently moving their esca.
"This particular group of anglerfishes has never been seen alive, but based on the musculature and anatomy, it looks like they have a great deal of control over the 'fishing rod,'" Sutton said.
Water pressures at these immense depths exceeds a ton per square inch, necessitating some strange body designs for exotic marine life. Some observers jokingly refer to the animals as the "aliens of the deep sea."
The three samples are considered to be the defining specimens of the species. Due to that distinction, the bodies will be housed in the Ichthyology Collection at the University of Washington. That facility is currently home to the largest collection of deep sea anglerfish anywhere in the world.
Although no males of the species were caught, biologists believe they would be significantly smaller than their female companions. In another species of anglerfish, the females are 60 times longer than males and weigh 500,000 times more. Males of the species lack an esca, and in some varieties of the animal, they attach themselves to females, feeding off materials in her bloodstream. In return, they supply her with sperm.
The discovery of the new species of anglerfish was detailed in the journal Copeia, published by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.
