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Species of the month

Humpback Anglerfish or Johnson's Blackdevil

Melanocetus johnsonii

Some facts on this fish:

Length: Males: up to 3 cm. Females: up to 20 cm.

Number of teeth: Upper jaw: 29–178. Lower jaw: 32–142.

Diet: Crustaceans.

Range: Tropical to temperate parts of all oceans; depth from 700 to 2000 meters.

First described: By the British zoologist Albert Günther in 1864.

Melanocetus johnsonii has a mouth full of teeth and a lantern on its nose. The female's snout ends in a "fishing rod"-a glowing blob of light that contains millions of light-producing bacteria. It acts as a lure to attract prey. The males are tiny, lack teeth and have extremely large nostrils and a powerful sense of smell to aid in locating females. They can detect a special pheromone that the female releases. This deep-water fish is capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself. Belongs to the genus Melanocetus or Black Seadevils, which contains 5 species, and forms a separate family-Melanocetidae.

(Archived from Template:Species of the week)