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1 Your web browser (Safari 7) is out of date. For more security, comfort and the best experience on this site: Update your browser Ignore Educator Version SHE S A CATCH! The weird, wonderful life of the anglerfish For the complete photos with media resources, visit: Ah, the female anglerfish. Majestic. Regal. Vaguely terrifying. Behold the fleshy blob sticking out from her nose. It actually lights up, beckoning gullible guppies close to the enormous, toothy maw hidden in the murky darkness. But wait! It s not just guppies! The female anglerfish is an equal-opportunity predator. She can consume prey twice her size. How? By doubling the size of her entire jaw and stomach, of course. Stuck Together Female anglerfish also have a strange relationship with their male partners. You see one of them in this photo. That s him, right below her tail. That little male anglerfish spends his whole life sniffing out a female anglerfish. Really he has outstanding olfactory cells and won t stop swimming until he finds the source of those enticing pheromones wafting through the water. Once he does, he grabs hold of her and won t let go. (It s actually a fantastic adaptation. The benthic environment where a lot of these anglerfish live is a dark and lonely place. The odds of running into another anglerfish-on-the-prowl are pretty low... once you find her, you never let her 1 of 5

2 go.) So, he bites her. Then, he dies. Sort of. When the male anglerfish bites the female, he releases an enzyme that dissolves the tissue around his mouth and her skin, fusing them together, right down to their blood vessels. The male atrophies. This means he basically dissolves first he loses his eyes, then his internal organs until he s just a sac of tissue and reproductive organs hanging off the female s belly. A female can have as many as six atrophied males attached to her body. At this point the anglerfish is basically a hermaphrodite, able to fertilize its own eggs whenever it feels like it. Nature! Instructional Ideas Have students read through the short, whimsical text on the anglerfish above (available in the Student version of this media spotlight) either individually or as a class. Comprehension Have students express the ideas of the text (the predatory and mating habits of the anglerfish) in their own words. Re-write the text, draw a diagram or series of illustrative/cartoon panels, create an animated video, etc. (California Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6 12, standard 2: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a 2 of 5

3 text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.) Analysis Familiarize students with the concept of anthropomorphism. Explain that anthropomorphism is the practice of attributing human characteristics to anything that is not a human being plants, forces of nature, or, in this case, fish. Explain that anthropomorphism is not based on reasoned judgment. Have students identify words that may anthropomorphize the physical or behavioral characteristics of the anglerfish. Review how this language is suggestive or leading. Discuss how students would present the same information using less anthropomorphic language. (California Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6 12, standard 8: Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.) Fast Facts Although some female anglerfish can grow up to a meter (3 feet) in length, this one is only about 8 centimeters (3 inches). The male is less than a centimeter (about a quarter inch) in length. Some male anglerfish have a stunted or incomplete digestive system. They have to find and attach themselves to females or die of starvation. Like most fish, female anglerfish lay hundreds of (unfertilized) eggs at a time. One species of anglerfish (the monkfish) ejects a slimy sheet of material that holds the eggs. The sheet can be about a meter (3 feet) wide and 10 meters (33 feet) long. (Most fish have to rely on a passing male fish to fertilize the waterborne eggs. The female anglerfish, of course, can do it herself with the male organs attached to her body.) 3 of 5

4 The esca the fleshy filament protruding from the female anglerfish s head is actually part of her spine. There are more than 200 species of anglerfish. Vocabulary Term adaptation Part of Speech Definition a modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence. An adaptation is passed from generation to generation. atrophy verb to waste away or degenerate. beckon verb to lure or entice. benthic bioluminescence adjectivehaving to do with the bottom of a deep body of water. light emitted by living things through chemical reactions in their bodies. blood vessel tubes through which blood circulates. consume verb to use up. entice verb to lure, or lead on with hope and desire. environment enzyme esca fantastic conditions that surround and influence an organism or community. proteins produced in living cells that act as catalysts to accelerate the vital processes of an organism. long, thin, fleshy growth from the head of an anglerfish. adjectiveexcellent or very good. fertilize verb to make productive or fertile. gullible adjectiveeasily fooled. hermaphrodite organism with both male and female reproductive organs. majestic adjectivevery impressive and formal. 4 of 5

5 Term Part of Speech Definition maw mouth and throat of an animal, usually a carnivore. murky adjectivedark and unclear. olfactory cell tiny structure that allows animals to smell. organ group of tissues that perform a specialized task. pheromone substance released by an animal that influences the behavior of other animals of the same species. predator animal that hunts other animals for food. prey animal that is hunted and eaten by other animals. prowl verb to slink about in search of prey. regal adjectiveresembling or having to do with royalty. reproductive collection of tissues (organ) that works to reproduce a organ species. tissue cells that form a specific function in a living organism. waft verb to carry or convey lightly and smoothly, usually through air. Video National Geographic Video: World s Weirdest Weird Killer of the Deep Websites National Geographic Animals: Anglerfish NOAA: Weird Fins Big Mom, Tiny Dad National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. 5 of 5