Latest news with #johnsonii
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
See it: Nightmarish deep-sea fish spotted swimming in shallower waters
A very rare fish sighting is making a splash on social media. A deep-sea anglerfish, with its mouthful of sharp teeth, was spotted near the surface of the water near the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa earlier this month. The videos and pictures were taken by Condrik Tenerife a Spanish NGO that researches sharks and rays in the Canary Islands and marine photographer David Jara Borguña. According to the organization, the fish is a so-called "black seadevil" known by its scientific name Melanocetus johnsonii. They typically swim between 650 and 6,500 feet below the ocean's surface. This range is known as the Bathypelagic Zone or midnight zone. According to the Noaa, the temperature there remains constant – around 39 degrees – because sunlight is unable to penetrate water at that depth. Water pressure can climb over 5,850 pounds per square inch. The research team said there have been very few sightings of this kind of fish, and they aren't sure why she was so far from the depths of the ocean. Never-before-seen Fish Found More Than 3 Miles Under The Sea Only female deep-sea anglerfish have the characteristic lure on the front of their face, according to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. According to the museum, the bioluminescent lure is the main way anglerfish catch their prey as it is one of the few light sources in the depths of the ocean. "To date, records have mostly consisted of larvae, dead adults, or specimens spotted by submarines during deep-sea scientific expeditions," Condrik Tenerife wrote online, underscoring how rare this sighting was. In their social media post, the research team said the find, "will be remembered forever."Original article source: See it: Nightmarish deep-sea fish spotted swimming in shallower waters
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Deep sea fish makes surprise appearance near the ocean's surface
Researchers from the NGO Condrik Tenerife have captured what they say are the first images of an adult black seadevil anglerfish, also known by its scientific name Melanocetus johnsonii, alive near the ocean's surface. The marine biologists were on a shark research expedition off the coast of the Spanish island of Tenerife when they saw the deep sea fish.
CNN
10-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
Deep sea fish makes surprise appearance near the ocean's surface
Researchers from the NGO Condrik Tenerife have captured what they say are the first images of an adult black seadevil anglerfish, also known by its scientific name Melanocetus johnsonii, alive near the ocean's surface. The marine biologists were on a shark research expedition off the coast of the Spanish island of Tenerife when they saw the deep sea fish.
