The Anglerfish is a 6-inch-deep sea bony fish named after their characteristic mode of predation in which they lure their prey by modifying a luminescent fin ray above their heads. There are different types of anglerfish, with most dwellings close to the sea floor but some away from the sea floor as well.
On February 5, as some marine searchers were out looking for sharks on Tenerife Island, they came across something interesting that resulted in a historic piece of marine life being discovered. It was the humpback angler fish, also called the “Black Sea monster,” as it is black in color and may be called monster due to its sharply exposed teeth, as well as its much larger and open mouth, making the fish look almost as if it’s a head without a body. “Interesting looks,” I would like to call them. This particular anglerfish is being called historic because it is incredibly rare to witness, let alone record. They are very small, with females known to grow to 153mm and dwell in the deepest part of the sea.
To other people this may just be another fish or a “sea monster,” but to others, including myself, it brought a deeper meaning about life. The tiny fish swam almost 2000miles which couldn’t have been an easy journey seeing how tiny she was. A sense of hope, a sense of motivation and a drive to never be afraid to go beyond what you think is your limit or what the world limits us to. She crossed her borders and decided to not live in a box anymore. She finally got to see light that she never made. Many times, we are afraid of even trying new things because of the limits we think we have in our heads.
With every bit of humanity left in us, may we fight hard to leave our prisons which are our minds, be brave and get to experience life on the other side of fear. With the anglerfish bringing worldwide attention, it has kept humanity wondering as to why a fish that almost should never be seen… surfaced. Could it be a sign of something since this area was completely out of habitat for the fish? As others are speculating that it could be warning signs of something in the deep parts of marine life and others are currently using religious theories to express the moment, one thing is for sure. Humans are now more aware of marine life and should care more for any form of life.
