Marine expert addresses viral anglerfish video that broke millions of hearts: 'A lot of hypotheses'
A deep-sea anglerfish that was recently spotted in shallow waters has captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands of social media users in recent days – and the photographer who spotted it recently opened up about the creature's fate.
David Jara Boguñá, a marine photographer affiliated with Condrik Tenerife, a Spanish conservation organization, posted a video about the viral anglerfish on Feb. 13. The fish was documented swimming vertically in shallow waters less than a mile from Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, earlier this month.
But the menacing-looking photos did not capture the fish's true size, Jara said – as the deep-sea creature was only about two inches long.
"To start with the size….the small fish measured no more than six centimeters," he recalled. "She was more of a black fritter than a black monster."
"You've asked me this a lot, but at no time did she attack us," Jara added. "I was more confused [by its presence] than anything else."
"The second most important thing I want to clarify is that it was a female, since the males are no more than two, three centimeters long," Jara continued, adding that male anglerfish also lack bioluminescent antennae.
The marine expert also discussed a few reasons why the fish, which could have lived as much as 6,000 feet below sea level, was brought to the surface in the first place.
"There has been a lot of hypotheses about it," Jara acknowledged. "But the main ones would be that the animal was sick, the animal was swept away upstream or that it was fleeing from sort of predator."
The photographer also said that the predatory anglerfish may have "ingested some fish, and that at the time of digestion, gases could have caused it to rise to the surface."
In response to the millions of reactions that the video elicited, Jara said that he found commenters' references to climate change "pretentious" and also dismissed fears that the fish was a harbinger of an impending apocalypse.
Jara also confirmed that the fish died soon after it was recorded.
"Unfortunately, as many of you know, the [anglerfish] died and its body was donated to the Tenerife Museum of Nature and Archaeology," he noted.
The expert's clarification came as millions of social media users shed tears over the fish's fate. Initially regarded as "nightmare fuel," the anglerfish has since inspired fan-art and poetry as humans tried to imagine what her journey from the deep-sea was like – with many believing that she purposely traveled to see light in her final moments.
"can't talk right now. crying over a fish," one TikTok user wrote on a video viewed millions of times.
"there's something deeply poetic about finding the light after a lifetime of darkness," a different user observed.
"All I ever do is cry on this damn app," another wrote.
"Someone said she was blind and couldn't see the light but probably felt the temp change in the water and knew," a fourth viewer said. "I cried so hard."
On another TikTok video of the fish with 1.6 million likes, one user wrote she was personally inspired by the creature's journey.
"Because of her and her will to find the light I enrolled myself in school to get my degree," the TikTok user wrote. "I will be finding my light like her."
Other social media users were less inspired by the video and the emotional reactions it elicited.
"I like to think she was journeying… but my biology background tells me she was dying and lost control of her buoyancy," a commenter wrote.
"This isn't a Pixar movie," another said. "She was dying. Stop romanticizing it."
It is rare for fish who live so deep in the ocean to be seen in shallow waters alive. Last year, a dead anglerfish washed up on an Oregon beach for the first time in recorded history.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Diving into a different world': Why an ASU professor studies the ocean in the desert
When Susanne Neuer closed her eyes, she could see it: the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean. A smile broke out on her face as she reminisced about the times her family visited the coastline of Ibiza. She has fallen in love with the ocean over and over, each time her family visited when she was young. She pictured a life on a boat fitted with all sorts of research equipment, salt in her face and the waves beneath her feet. No land for miles and miles. And she had that life, for a little bit. Her research cruises were far from luxurious. Neuer said they were "spartan" in a way. But they were exactly what she wanted. "Just the sea in all its different states," she said. "The terrible waves that make me seasick or a smooth ocean and beautiful sunsets, and then the animals, the dolphins that come about and play in the wake of the ship," Neuer said, her cadence speeding up with excitement. "It's really diving into a different world." Neuer's life took a sharp left turn to the desert in 2000 when she landed in Arizona after her husband got a job at Arizona State University. The desert landscape was a stark difference from the glittering blue waves dotted with bioluminescent plankton. She eventually found her place in Arizona, becoming a world-renowned researcher studying the role of ocean life in the carbon cycle. In 2022, Neuer was named the founding director of Arizona State University's School of Ocean Futures, a unique position to teach desert dwellers about the ocean. Neuer, 62, grew up in southern Germany, hundreds of miles away from the ocean in all directions. But her family vacationed in Ibiza, a Spanish island, and the ocean waves lapped at the edges of her mind. She wanted to learn more about the ocean. So, she turned to the ponds and streams that surrounded her hometown, flipping over rocks and digging into the dirt and mud. When she was in her early teens, she worked one summer at a garden shop to buy her own microscope so she could uncover the mysteries in the water. It changed her life. She knew it then, that she would study the ocean and the microorganisms that were only revealed to her through the microscope on those summer days. Her university studies took her first to the University of Heidelberg in west Germany, then north to the University of Kiel on the Baltic Sea, a far cry from the warm embrace of the Mediterranean. It was one of the only places Neuer could study marine science, she said. Then, she found out about the Fulbright Program, and she was accepted at the University of Washington to study oceanography. She planned to only stay in the U.S. for a year until she met her husband on a trip to California with other Fulbright students. "I realized that, you know, that this was probably serious," Neuer said. She and her husband, who was from Spain, decided to stay and finish out their studies in the U.S. They had a daughter, finished their doctoral degrees and moved back to Germany for postdoctoral work. The family stayed in Germany for six years. "There was, back then, no way we could stay both and get both permanent positions in Germany," she said. "We said the first one who would get at tenure track offer would take the other one along." Her husband beat her to the punch. He landed a job at ASU in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, perfect for his career as a microbiologist focused on desert soil. Not so perfect for Neuer's career in oceanography. When Neuer arrived in Arizona in 2000, she was lonely. The lone oceanographer in a sea of sand and hours away from the brilliant blue ocean — again. She followed her husband's lead and got a job at ASU. She taught oceanography through the geology department and spent more time with geologists than biologists. She tried teaching as many courses about marine life as possible and ended up pioneering degrees focused on environmental and marine sciences. She fell in love with teaching, even if it meant being in the desert. She said that's a benefit, not a detriment. "You can't really understand our planet and how our planet works without the oceans," Neuer said. "(The ocean) is so intricately engrained in our climate and our weather. ... Here in Arizona, you know, we receive water that enables life in the desert, and that water has come evaporated from the ocean." As the years dragged on, she was still the only oceanographer at the university. Sure, there were biologists and geologists and other "ologists," but none focused solely on the ocean, like Neuer. She eventually found a home in the School of Life Sciences, where her programs lived for 20 years. She developed curricula for students and led the graduate program. That's how she met Jesse Senko. Senko was at ASU as a doctoral candidate studying biology in 2011. Senko, from Connecticut, had planned on staying in Arizona for four years, just long enough to get his degree. His dream was to study marine life, specifically sea turtles. He wasn't sure if he was going to make it if not for Neuer. "She provided a safe space for me," Senko said. "If it wasn't for her, I definitely would've left the school, and I don't even know if I would've gotten a Ph.D." More than 10 years later, Senko hasn't left Arizona. He hasn't even left ASU, all because of Neuer. After years of being the lone oceanographer, Neuer founded a home for people like her. Like Senko. Those passionate about the ocean while loving the desert. Neuer was named the director of ASU's School of Ocean Futures in 2022, a "180-degree turn from being the lonely oceanographer to becoming the founding director of that school," she said. The school opened in 2023 and began offering degree programs in 2024. Students are able to study from across the world, from Hawaii to Bermuda. Senko teaches at the school and leads students on research trips to Baja California in northwest Mexico to study sea turtles. "We are connected," Neuer said, "considering the ocean as a home." News alerts in your inbox: Don't miss the important news of the day. Sign up for azcentral newsletter alerts to be in the know. Reporter Lauren De Young covers Tempe, Chandler, Maricopa County and transportation. Reach her at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why an ASU professor studies the ocean in the desert
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chartbreaker: Mariah the Scientist on Her Biggest Hit's ‘Casual' Start & Using Her Platform to ‘Help People Feel Included'
True to her name, Mariah the Scientist's songs are often the result of several months, and sometimes years, spent combining different elements of choruses and verses until finding the right mixture. But when it came time for the 27-year-old to unveil her latest single, the sultry 'Burning Blue,' the R&B singer-songwriter was at a crossroads. So, she experimented with her promotional strategy, too — and achieved the desired momentum. 'Mariah felt she was in a space between treating [music] like a hobby and this being her career,' recalls Morgan Buckles, the artist's sister and manager. And so, they crafted a curated, monthlong rollout — filled with snippets, TikTok posts encouraging fan interaction and various live performances — that helped the song go viral even before its early May arrival. Upon its release, Mariah the Scientist scored her first solo Billboard Hot 100 entry and breakthrough hit. More from Billboard Young Thug Recalls Getting 'Stood Up' By Mariah The Scientist on Their First Date Chappell Roan Did the Viral 'Apple' Dance During Charli xcx's Primavera Sound Set: 'Love You B-ch!' 50 Years Ago, Elton John Became First Artist to Enter Billboard 200 at No. 1 - Just How 'Fantastic' Was the Feat? Mariah Amani Buckles grew up in Atlanta, singing from an early age. She attended St. John's University in New York and studied biology, but ultimately dropped out to pursue music. Her self-released debut EP, To Die For, arrived in 2018, after which she signed to RCA Records and Tory Lanez's One Umbrella label. She stayed in those deals until 2022 — releasing albums Master and Ry Ry World in 2019 and 2021, respectively — before leaving to continue as an independent artist. 'Over time, you start realizing [people] want you to change things,' Mariah says of her start in the industry. 'Everybody wants to control your art. I don't want to argue with you about what I want, because if we don't want the same things, I'll just go find somebody who does.' In 2023, after six months as an independent artist, Mariah signed a joint venture deal with Epic Records and released her third album, To Be Eaten Alive, which became her first to reach the Billboard 200. She then made two Hot 100 appearances as a featured artist in early 2024, on 'IDGAF' with Tee Grizzley and Chris Brown and 'Dark Days' with 21 Savage. 'Burning Blue' marks Mariah's first release of 2025 — and first new music since boyfriend Young Thug's release from jail following his bombshell YSL RICO trial. The song takes inspiration from Purple Rain-era Prince balladry with booming drums and warbling bass — and Mariah admits that the Jetski Purp-produced beat on YouTube (originally titled 'Blue Flame') likely influenced some lyrics, too. She initially recorded part of the track over an unofficial MP3 rip, but after Purp caught wind of it and learned his girlfriend was a fan, he gave Mariah the beat. Mariah then looped in Nineteen85 (Drake, Nicki Minaj, Khalid) to flesh out the production. 'I [recorded the first part of 'Burning Blue'] in the first room I recorded in when I first started making music in Atlanta,' Mariah says. 'I don't want to say it was a throwaway, but it was casual. I wrote some of it, and then I put it to the side.' Once Epic A&R executive Jennifer Raymond heard the in-progress track, she insisted on its completion enough that Mariah and her collaborators convened in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in February to finish the song. By that point, they sensed something special. Mariah shared a low-quality snippet on Instagram, but Morgan — who joined as a tour manager in 2022 — knew a more polished presentation was needed to reach its full potential. Morgan eyed Billboard's Women in Music event in late March as the launchpad for the 'Burning Blue' campaign. Though Mariah wasn't performing or presenting at the event, Morgan wanted to take advantage of her already being in glam to shoot a flashier teaser than Mariah's initial IG story, which didn't even show her face. The two decided on a behind-the-scenes, pre-red carpet clip soundtracked by a studio-quality snippet of 'Burning Blue.' Posted on April 1, that clip showcased its downtempo chorus and Mariah's silky vocal and has since amassed more than two million views, with designer Jean Paul Gaultier's official TikTok account sharing the video to its feed. Ten days later, Morgan advised Mariah to share another TikTok, this time with an explicit call to action encouraging fans to use the song in their own posts and teasing that she 'might have a surprise' for fans with enough interaction. Mariah then debuted the song live on April 19 during a set at Howard University — a smart exclusive for her core audience — as anticipation for the song continued to build. Two weeks later, 'Burning Blue' hit digital service providers on May 2, further fueled by a Claire Bishara-helmed video on May 8 that has over 7 million YouTube views. 'We're at the point where opportunity meets preparation,' Morgan reflects of the concerted but not overbearing promotional approach. '[To Be Eaten Alive] happened so fast, I didn't even know what 'working' a project meant. This time, I studied other artists' rollouts to figure out how to make this campaign personal to her.' 'Burning Blue' debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated May 17, marking Mariah's first time in the top 40. Following its TikTok-fueled debut, the song has shown legs at radio too, entering Rhythmic Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay — to which Morgan credits Epic's radio team, spearheaded by Traci Adams and Dontay Thompson. '[The song] ended up going to radio a week earlier [than scheduled] because Dontay was like, 'If y'all like this song so much, then play it!,' and they did,' Morgan jokes. With 'Burning Blue' proving to be a robust start to an exciting new chapter, Mariah has a bona fide hit to start the summer as she prepares to unleash her new project, due before the fall. She recently performed the track on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and will have the opportunity to fan the song's flames in front of festival audiences including Governors Ball in June and Lollapalooza in August. But as her following continues to heat up, Mariah's mindset is as cool as ever. 'I'll take what I can get,' Mariah says. 'As long as I can use my platform to help people feel included or understood, I'm good.' A version of this story appears in the June 7, 2025, issue of Billboard. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Unknown 'world full of aliens' discovered in deep hole in Aussie outback
A 'world full of aliens' has been unearthed by researchers in a hole on the side of a barren Aussie hill. While the swimming pool-sized dig site in South Australia's outback may not look like much, its stratified layers of sandstone provide a glimpse into life that existed at the bottom of a shallow sea some 555-million-years ago. "We're finding things that have been hidden for over half a billion years,' South Australian Museum palaeontologist Diego García-Bellido, who has been chipping away at the secret fossil bed with his team for the past few years, said. The associated professor and his crew of 10 researchers and volunteers just returned from another 10-day stint at the excavation site in the Nilpena Ediacara National Park, 520km north of Adelaide. 'We found a new outcrop some kilometres away from the original Ediacara fossil beds, which were discovered in the early 2000s,' García-Bellido said. After extracting each layer of rock by hand, researchers were thrilled to uncover a variety of fossilised organisms that once lived on the 20 metre-deep sea floor, including Dickinsonia, Tribrachidium, and Spriggina — all of which lived during the late Ediacaran period. At that time, Australia was still attached to Antartica, and the first animals were starting to evolve. 'The sea floor was covered with a microbial mat — not unlike what grows at the bottom of a swimming pool during winter — and there were a few organisms living and feeding on that mat,' García-Bellido said. While some of the 'early complex organisms' did 'some of the things that animals do', they can't quite be classified as such, he added. 'These are the closest things to aliens that we have on our planet's history.' 🏡 Aussie renter's 250 million-year-old discovery in inner-city backyard 🌳 Incredible photos capture 'magical' phenomenon in Aussie forests 🏕️ Ancient discovery near popular Aussie camping spot sparks delight The impressions on the sandstone have been digitised and measured so further research can be conducted. 'We look at how they are distributed on the fossil surface and how they grow,' García-Bellido explained. 'How the juvenile is different to the adult, and what is the spatial relationships between each of the organisms. 'What this is telling us, is the world back then was much more complicated than we expected. We are finding things that have never been discovered before.' The Ediacara fossils are now on display at the South Australian Museum for anyone who wants to see them first-hand. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
