Mysterious, Elusive ‘Black Seadevil’ Captured On Video
By Space Coast Daily // November 24, 2014
rarely observed in their natural habitat
ABOVE VIDEO: Deep-sea anglerfish are strange and elusive creatures that are very rarely observed in their natural habitat.
Fewer than half a dozen have ever been captured on film or video by deep diving research vehicles. This little angler, about three and a half inches long, is named Melanocetus. It is also known as the “Black Seadevil” and it lives in the deep dark waters of the Monterey Canyon. MBARI’s ROV Doc Ricketts observed this anglerfish for the first time at 1,900 feet on a midwater research expedition this month. It is believed that this is the first video footage ever made of this species alive and at depth.
A research team conducting a dive in Monterey Bay off the coast of California have captured first-ever video of a rarely-seen denizen of the deep called the black seadevil.
The creature, which is about three and a half inches long, was found this week in the dark, deep waters 1,900 feet below the surface by researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
“We’ve been diving out here in the Monterey Canyon regularly for 25 years, and we’ve seen three,” MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robinson told the San Jose Mercury News on Friday.
Robinson said a luminescent “fishing pole” projecting from the anglerfish’s head is a glowing lure to attract prey. He said they captured the fish to study, but don’t know how long it will survive.
