Deep-Sea Anglerfish Pair Seen for First Time

A rare deep-sea anglerfish was observed for the first time alive by a team from the Rebikoff Foundation near São Jorge Island, Portugal, and seen in a video released on Friday, March 23.The video shows a parasitic dwarf male permanently attached to the belly of a female, which may be pregnant. The female is estimated to be about 16 centimeters long while the male is three centimeters long.“In order to reproduce, the young male must find a female in the vast ocean and attach himself to her,” the foundation said in its press release. “This process results in a permanent fusion of tissues and even a connection of the circulatory systems.”Kirsten and Joachim Jakobsen, operators of the manned submersible LULA1000, observed the anglerfish at a depth of about 800 meters in an area that has steep, partially vertical walls off the south slope of the island. Credit: Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation via Storyful