11-02-2025
Deep Sea Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish Makes Ultra-Rare Appearance in Possible World's First Recorded Sighting
This is so dang cool! Researchers off the coast of Tenerife, Spain found something truly miraculous. And now they're sharing their find with the world! Video captured by the team shows an adult Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish swimming close to the surface of the water — it's an ultra-rare fish that's never been seen by the human eye! The find was a true surprise to the researchers and now people online are completely in awe.
The Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish lives deep in the ocean — very deep. In fact, these fish tend to live at depths between 200 and 2,000 meters (or about 656 to 6561 feet) below the surface. Typically the Anglerfish lives so far down in the ocean that they never see the sun.
The video shows the Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish making its way to the surface of the water. It's so cool looking! Look at those sharp teeth! There's a reason why these fish are sometimes known as the 'black sea monster.' They look a little bit scary!According to USA today, the organization who found the fish was called Condrik Tenerife.
Online, the shark and stingray research and conservation organization explained how the find was made.
'Emerging from the abyssal depths in vertical swimming, just 2 km from the coast of Tenerife and during a research campaign of Pelagic Sharks organized by the NGO Condrick-Tenerife, the biologist (@laiavlr) detected this being on the surface,' the post, which has been translated from Portuguese, reads. 'Immediately afterwards, the biologists Marc Martín ( @ Antonio Sabuco (IG @sabu726), and myself (@ recorded spectacular and unusual images of the animal.'
Condrick-Tenerife explained the fish is a 'true predator of the deep,' that uses its 'dorsal appendage full of bioluminescent symbiotic bacteria as bait to attract its prey, just like in the popular film 'Finding Nemo.''
They couldn't explain why the Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish was spotted so close to the surface, but guessed that it could have been from illness, an upwelling in the current, or it was fleeing from a predator. Typically Abyssal Humpback Anglerfish are only spotted close to the water's surface 'as larvae,' USA Today reports.
'We were returning to port when I saw something black in the water that didn't look like plastic or debris,' Oceanographic reports Marine biologist Laia Valor said. 'It seemed unusual.'
Sadly, the researchers only spent hours with the fish before it died. 'It was in poor condition and only survived for a few hours,' Valor explained. The fish's body has since been moved to the Santa Cruz de Tenerife where its body will be studied. But it certainly was a find that the crew will never forget.
'This surprising discovery did not leave the crew indifferent and will be remembered forever,' they wrote in their post.
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
