Latest news with #Boguñá
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
How a dying anglerfish became the darling of social media
In February, researchers from conservation organisation Condrik Tenerife were about two kilometres off the coast of Tenerife Island, looking for sharks, when they caught sight of something much stranger. Photographer David Jara Boguñá filmed a humpback anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii, a species of black seadevil) swimming near the surface in sunlit waters. These fish have never before been seen alive in daylight, as they normally dwell in the 'twilight zone' at depths from 200m to 600m. The video has provoked an enormously empathetic response on social media, with some seeing the fish as a feminist icon or an Icarus-like figure who swam too close to the Sun. The reaction shows our views of the deep sea – long ignored or seen as a realm of monsters – may at last be changing. The strange lives of anglerfish Anglerfish are much smaller than you probably think they are. The specimen Boguñá filmed was a female, which typically grow up to 15cm long. The creatures are named for their bioluminescent lure (or esca). This modified dorsal fin ray can produce a glow used to fish (or angle) for prey in the dim depths of the sea. The bioluminescence is produced by symbiotic bacteria that live inside the bulbous head of the esca. Male anglerfish lack the iconic lure and are much smaller, usually reaching a length of only 3cm. A male anglerfish spends the first part of his life searching for a female to whom he will then attach himself. He will eventually fuse his circulatory system with hers, depending on her entirely for nutrients, and live out his life as a parasite or 'living testicle'. It is unknown why this fish was swimming vertically near the surface. Researchers have speculated that the behaviour may have been related to changes in water temperature, or that the fish was simply at the end of her life. Watchers observed the fish for several hours, until it died. Its body was preserved and taken to the Museum of Nature and Archaeology in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where it will be further studied. Sympathy for the seadevil The video quickly went viral, inspiring countless reaction videos, artworks, memes, a Pixar-style animation and a poem titled Icarus is the Anglerfish. One Reddit user commented: 'I like to think she is a respected old grandmother who has dreamed her entire life of seeing the sunlight and the world above the water. She knows her time is nigh so she bade farewell to her friends and family and swam up towards the light and whatever it might hold for her as her life as an anglerfish comes to a close.' One person described the fish as her 'feminist Roman Empire', in the sense of an inspirational obsession that filled the same role for her that the Roman Empire supposedly does for many men. Boguñá and Condrik Tenerife have since commented on the public reaction. (The original post is in Spanish, but Instagram's automated English translation is below.) 'He's become a global icon, that's clear. But far from the romanticisation and attempt to humanise that has been given to its tragic story, I think that what this event has been for is to awaken the curiosity of the sea to PEOPLE, especially the younger ones, and perhaps, it also serves that messages about marine ecosystem conservation can reach so many more people.' From horrors to heroes The outpouring of empathy for the anglerfish is unexpected. With their glowing lures and fang-filled mouths, the creatures have long been archetypal horrors of the abyss. As I have written elsewhere, the anglerfish's extreme sexual dimorphism and parasitism, along with its unsettling anatomy, have made it the 'iconic ambassador of the deep sea'. Anglerfish or angler-inspired aliens have appeared as antagonists in films such as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Finding Nemo (2003), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) and Luca (2021). The reception of 'Icarus' (as some call her) in popular culture indicates a perhaps surprising capacity for empathy toward animals that aren't conventionally cute or beautiful. It stands in stark contrast to the fate of the deep-sea blobfish Psychrolutes marcidus, which in 2013 was voted the world's ugliest animal. Perhaps the name is a clue: people have seen in the fish a creature striving to reach the light, who died as a result of her quest. But does our projection of human emotions and desires onto non-human animals risk misunderstanding scientific reality? Almost certainly – but, as US environmental humanities researcher Stacy Alaimo has argued, it may also have benefits: 'Deep-sea creatures are often pictured as aliens from another planet, and I think that gets people interested in them because we're all interested in novelty and weirdness and the surreal […] I think that can be positive, but the idea of the alien can also cut us off from any responsibility.' The deep sea and its inhabitants face growing threats from seabed mining, plastic pollution, and the effects of human-induced climate change. They need all the empathy they can get.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Video shows Black seadevil fish making rare swim near sea surface
In what may be the world's first-ever recorded sighting, a black seadevil — anglerfish known for living thousands of feet beneath the ocean's surface where the light no longer touches — was caught on camera swimming close to the ocean's surface. The footage, captured in Spain's Canary Islands, shows the female fish, whose Latin name translates to "black sea monster," swimming through the light-filled ocean waters off the coast of Tenerife. The discovery was made by NGO Condrik Tenerife and marine life photographer David Jara Boguñá while they were researching sharks. In a joint Instagram post, the organization and Boguñá said that the fish emerged from the abyss about 1.2 miles off the coast of Tenerife in Spain. Once they got closer, they realized it was a humpback anglerfish, a type of black seadevil anglerfish similar to what was portrayed in the Disney animated movie "Finding Nemo." The genus in its Latin name for the species, Melanocetus johnsonii, translates to "black sea monster." "It could be the first recorded sighting in the world of an adult black devil or abyssal anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) alive, in broad daylight and on the surface," Boguñá and Condrik Tenerife said in their post, adding that the record to date has seemingly only included larvae or dead adults, and the only live viewings have been recorded via submarine. "... A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive," the post said. The researchers described the fish as a "true predator of the depths," a characterization which rings true. Black seadevils can live up to 15,000 feet under the ocean surface, with humpback anglerfish specifically known to live as deep as roughly 6,500 feet under the sea, according to the researchers. Such a depth is known as the Bathypelagic Zone, or the "midnight zone," where animals live in constant darkness and the only light comes from bioluminescence. Female black seadevils, such as the one that was documented, will attract prey with a fishing rod-like structure on their head that has a tip that lights up in the dark. As demonstrated in "Finding Nemo," prey are attracted to the light, and when they get close, the anglerfish can eat them. Female humpback anglerfish are the more powerful of the sexes in this species, growing far larger than their male counterparts. They can grow to be 7 inches and take on the more iconic look with a large head with pointed teeth and the bioluminescent lure, while the males only grow to be about an inch long and lack a lure, according to the Australian Museum. Researchers aren't sure why this female found her way in such light-filled and shallow waters. They said it could be due to an illness, updraft or perhaps fleeing from a predator. But what they do know is that the observation was "surprising." "[It] did not leave the crew indifferent and will be remembered forever," they said. Breaking down the best commercials from the Super Bowl Here's what could be behind surging flu cases, plus symptoms to watch New poll on Trump approval rating as steel, aluminum tariffs set
CBS News
11-02-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Video shows Black seadevil fish, usually only found in lightless depths of the sea, making rare swim near ocean surface
In what may be the world's first-ever recorded sighting, a black seadevil — anglerfish known for living thousands of feet beneath the ocean's surface where the light no longer touches — was caught on camera swimming cloe to the ocean's surface. The footage, captured in Spain's Canary Islands, shows the female fish, whose Latin name translates to "black sea monster," swimming through the light-filled ocean waters off the coast of Tenerife. The discovery was made by NGO Condrik Tenerife and marine life photographer David Jara Boguñá while they were researching sharks. In a joint Instagram post, the organization and Boguñá said that the fish emerged from the abyss about 1.2 miles off the coast of Tenerife in Spain. Once they got closer, they realized it was a humpback anglerfish, a type of black seadevil anglerfish similar to what was portrayed in the Disney animated movie "Finding Nemo." The genus in its Latin name for the species, Melanocetus johnsonii, translates to "black sea monster." View this post on Instagram A post shared by CBS News Climate Watch (@cbsnewsplanet) "It could be the first recorded sighting in the world of an adult black devil or abyssal anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) alive, in broad daylight and on the surface," Boguñá and Condrik Tenerife said in their post, adding that the record to date has seemingly only included larvae or dead adults, and the only live viewings have been recorded via submarine. "... A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive," the post said. The researchers described the fish as a "true predator of the depths," a characterization which rings true. Black seadevils can live up to 15,000 feet under the ocean surface, with humpback anglerfish specifically known to live as deep as roughly 6,500 feet under the sea, according to the researchers. Such a depth is known as the Bathypelagic Zone, or the " midnight zone," where animals live in constant darkness and the only light comes from bioluminescence. Female black seadevils, such as the one that was documented, will attract prey with a fishing rod-like structure on their head that has a tip that lights up in the dark. As demonstrated in "Finding Nemo," prey are attracted to the light, and when they get close, the anglerfish can eat them. Female humpback anglerfish are the more powerful of the sexes in this species, growing far larger than their male counterparts. They can grow to be 7 inches and take on the more iconic look with a large head with pointed teeth and the bioluminescent lure, while the males only grow to be about an inch long and lack a lure, according to the Australian Museum. Researchers aren't sure why this female found her way in such light-filled and shallow waters. They said it could be due to an illness, updraft or perhaps fleeing from a predator. But what they do know is that the observation was "surprising."
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
WATCH: Rare ‘Black Demon' fish spotted alive for first time
(WJW) – A deep-sea anglerfish, known as the Black Demon, had a rare spotting off the coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Condrik Tenerife, which specializes in shark and ray research and conservation in the Canary Islands, described the sighting as a 'surprising find.' Local school unexpectedly delays due to 'bus de-icing' Marine Wildlife Photographer David Jara Boguñá posted a video of the sighting saying, 'This could be the first recorded sighting in the world of a black demon or adult abyssal (Melanocetus johnsonii) alive, in broad daylight and on the surface!!' Condrik Tenerife said the fish was a humpback anglerfish, a type of black seadevil. The scary-looking fish is usually found in water depths of 1,500 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches and where it uses its bioluminescent light to attract its prey. 'To date, records have mostly consisted of larvae, dead adults, or specimens spotted by submarines during deep-sea scientific expeditions,' Condrik Tenerife said. Did you spot them? 2025 Super Bowl champs with ties to NE Ohio Condrik Tenerife also described the animal as, 'A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive.' 'Apparently, the existing records to date correspond to larvae, dead adult specimens or those recorded with submarines,' Boguñá said on Instagram. 'The motive for its presence in such shallow waters is uncertain. Maybe due to illness, an upstream, fleeing a predator, etc.' The encounter was described as a 'surprising find' that will be remembered forever. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
