A team of marine biologists in Tenerife, Canary Islands, have caught on video a rare black devil fish for the first time in daylight, on the ocean surface, and in this region.
The peculiar deep-sea creature, which has previously inspired the creators of 2003 Disney cartoon movie Finding Nemo for a sinister fish character, was spotted swimming close to sea surface at a distance of only two kilometres from the shore on January 26, 2025, in a most unexpected sighting for scientists.
The species, also known as abyssal or humpback anglerfish or Melanocetus johnsonii, is usually found at depths of 200 to 2,000 meters, where it survives thanks to its bioluminescence that lures its prey.
@europapress LA ONG Condrik-Tenerife ha publicado las primeras imágenes de un diablo negro o rape abisal adulto vivo, a plena luz del día y en la superficie, a tan solo 2 km de la costa de Tenerife. La bióloga marina valenciana Laia Valor detectó este ser en la superficie, por lo que los biólogos Marc Martín y Antonio Sabuco, y el fotógrafo de fauna marina David Jara registraron estas imágenes del animal. (Fuente: ONG Condrik-Tenerife, Laia Valor, Marc Martín, Antonio Sabuco y David Jara) #diablonegro #pez #peces #tenerife #rapeabisal
Unexpected sighting of black devil fish in shallow waters
Until now, any footage or images of the black devil fish have been limited to larvae, deceased specimens, or submarine images from other deep-sea environments far from this region.
Bruce Robison of California Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute recorded a Black Seadevil at 600 m (1,900 ft) during an exploration of the Monterey Canyon via a remote-operated diving vehicle in 2014.
The new and unique observation was made accidentally by local NGO Condrik-Tenerife upon their return to shore from a shark study expedition. Marine biologist Laia Valor noticed an unusual black object on the sea surface, that didn’t resemble plastic, and, upon appoaching, she realized it was a Black Devil Fish.
The team spent several hours observing the specimen, which was already injured and only survived for a few hours after its discovery, local media said.
Marine wildlife photographer David Jara documented the sighting with previously unpublished images that showed the specimen “emerging from the abyssal depths in vertical swimming”.
“A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive,” the NGO commented on Instagram. “The reason for its presence in such shallow waters is uncertain. It may be due to illness, an upwelling current, fleeing from a predator, etc,” it added.
“This surprising discovery did not leave the crew indifferent and will be remembered forever.”
Species with very distinct features, and a Greek name
Black sea devil fish are known to be found in tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, while one species is also known in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.
Their sharp, irregular teeth are a main feature of their intimidating appearance but they are completely harmless to humans.
There are six species in the black sea devil family -the melanocetidae– the first one having been discovered by British naturalist James Yates Johnson near Madeira, an archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, in 1863, and brought to theNatural History Museum in London.
It was named Melanocetus from the Greek words melanos, meaning “black,” and cetus, meaning “large sea creature.” As explained by this choice of name, black sea devil fish are of pitch black colour – including on the inside of their mouth.
In the deep dark waters that are its natural habitat, and where sunlight never reaches, the iconic bioluminescent antenna of the black sea devil fish acts as a lure and a “fishing rod” that attracts its prey, such as smaller fish and crustaceans.
Nonetheless, their highly distensible stomachs also allow them to swallow prey larger than themselves.
The bioluminescence is only present in female specimen, and is produced by symbiotic bacteria which are different in each species.
Mating strategy of black sea devil fish
Black sea devil fish are characterised by sexual dimorphism; male specimen are much smaller than the female and lack both jaw teeth and bioluminescent lures, which essentially makes them mere carriers of genetic material.
The species reproduction is carried out by external fertilization; females release eggs into the water and males then immediately exert their sperm to capture and fertilize the eggs.
Unlike other species of anglerfish, such as the fanfin sea devil, where the male is attached onto the skin of the female and gradually merges into the female’s tissues to live the rest of his life as a parasite, black sea devil males are not parasitic and only temporarily attach onto the larger female.
Two cases of this phenomenon have been captured, one on the RRS Discovery in Ireland and the other on the R/V Tansei-Maru. In both instances, there was no evidence of tissue fusion between the male and female anglerfish.
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