Anglerfish
Melanocetus johnsonii
A glowing fishing rod hangs over a hungry mouth.
The female humpback anglerfish carries her own fishing pole on her forehead. A glowing lure draws curious prey close enough for one sudden gulp.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Anglerfish home
See which ready-to-play decks feature this SeaPal. Try one in the simulator before you buy, or explore each full deck list.
- 2 copies
Ready-to-play deck
Darkness Shroud Deck
Includes 2 cards featuring Anglerfish.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- It roams deep tropical and temperate oceans worldwide, from about 100 to 4,500 meters down.
- Favorite foods
- It ambushes fishes and crustaceans that approach its lure.
- Size check
- Females up to about 8 in (20 cm)—about hand-length
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
The glowing lure is a modified spine called an illicium.
- 2
Females can stretch their jaws and stomachs around surprisingly large meals.
- 3
Males are tiny compared with females and use an excellent sense of smell to find them.
- 4
MBARI recorded the first video of this species in its deep habitat in 2014.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
Its bioluminescent lure turns total darkness into a hunting advantage.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Look for a round black body, needle teeth, and one bright forehead lure.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.