Anglerfish

An anglerfish is a marine fish that belongs to the order Lophiiformes. Anglerfish are noted for having a bait-like appendage in front of their heads, right above their mouths.

Lophiiformes
Melanocetus johnsonii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleostei
Order:	Lophiiformes

Striated frogfish, Antennarius striatus

Haplophryne mollis. Female anglerfish with tiny males attached.

The appendage, which resembles a fishing pole, is attached to the end of the dorsal fin's front spine, which is separated from the rest of the fin. Anglerfish light their rod with bioluminescence (their own light) and then wiggle it to mimic a small marine animal. When other creatures come to eat the small marine animal, the anglerfish eats them. They are called anglerfish because they catch fish with bait, just like anglers, who use a rod and line (rather than nets).

One of the families, the Ceratiidae, has an extraordinary mating system where the male actually fuses into the female.

Evolution

A mitochondrial genome phylogenetic study suggested that anglerfishes diversified in a short period of the Lower Cretaceous, between 130 and 100 million years ago.

Anglerfish Media

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  (A) Centrophryne spinulosa, 136 mm SL(B) Cryptopsaras couesii, 34.5 mm SL(C) Himantolophus appelii, 124 mm SL(D) Diceratias trilobus, 86 mm SL(E) Bufoceratias wedli, 96 mm SL(F) Bufoceratias shaoi, 101 mm SL(G) Melanocetus eustalus, 93 mm SL(H) Lasiognathus amphirhamphus, 157 mm SL(I) Thaumatichthys binghami, 83 mm SL(J) Chaenophryne quasiramifera, 157 mm SL.

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  Red-lipped Batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini), photo from the Galapagos (the species is also found off Peru).

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  Striped anglerfish (Antennarius striatus)

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  Skeleton of the anglerfish Lophius piscatorius: The first spine of the dorsal fin of the anglerfish acts as a fishing rod with a lure.