A nightmare-inducing sea creature made famous in ‘Finding Nemo’ was caught on video in the depths of the ocean for the first time. Scientists believe global warming is affecting its environment, bringing the rare angler-fish species to shallower waters. As shown in Pixar’s famous fish film, anglers get their name from the built-in fishing rod attached to their foreheads. The black sea-devil (scientific name Melanocetus) lives in the pitch-black depths of Monterey Canyon off California’s coast, and uses its luminescent orb to attract prey. “In the darkness of deep water, they flash the light to attract prey and draw them near the angler’s mouth. When a fish or a squid swims up, it is quickly inhaled by the angler’s huge mouth and trapped by its long, sharp teeth,” senior scientist Bruce Robison said in a video of the sea-devil released by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). MBARI scientists spotted the secretive species 2,000 feet (600m) below Monterey Bay’s surface, but it also lives in the “freezing, crushing water four times deeper,” the San Jose Mercury News reported. youtu.be/VqPMP9X-89o
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 14:37:27 +0000