Team DailyPedia
If you’ve watched Finding Nemo, you’ll remember a very scary fish that almost swallowed Marlin and Dory after luring them with a pretty dangling trinket from its forehead towards its grisly jaws. 
Just this month, scientists from California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) was able to capture a video of the rare Black Sea Devil in its habitat for the very first time.
Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in the Monterey Bay Canyon, the 3.5-inch-long Melanocetus anglerfish was spotted almost 600 metres beneath the ocean surface. The researchers were able to bring the fish to the surface without any force, monitoring it’s movement eversince. “It came up in absolutely perfect condition,” says Bruce Robison, a deep-sea ecologist at the MBARI. He explained that he has brought up sea devils from deep before, but never with an ROV.
The researcher also observed that the Black Sea Devil is breathing more than expected, given its build.
The anglerfish is believed to be a female because the male of the species is much smaller and rather useless. Also, since it does not possess the ‘fishing rod’ on its forehead, it cannot hunt for its own food. It’s main purpose is to find a female anglerfish to mate with. “Once he finds her, he bites on and their tissues fuse,” explains Robison. The male provides sperm while the female sustains him.
While many believe this fish is odd and ugly, the sea devils are remarkably adapted for their environment. In fact, Robison does not think of this fish as ugly at all.
Today, the anglerfish stays in a special dark room that simulates the dark, chilly habitat of the fish from the deep. Scientists are just waiting for it to settle down before they study it further.
According to Robison, he hopes to find out if these species can sense electromagnetic fields like sharks do. Also if the fish continuously keep the light on its forehead on, or if there’s a pattern to the light it produces.
