A video of ‘black sea monster’ is making waves on Instagram. It is believed that this is the first time this creature has been recorded by a camera in daylight. The creature is a fish popularly known as Humpback Anglerfish and scientifically called as Melanocetus johnsonii.
The humpback anglerfish is a species of black seadevil in the family of Melanocetidae, which means “black sea monster”. It has been named after English naturalist, James Yate Johnson who discovered the first specimen in Madeira in 1863. The fish usually resides at depths ranging from 200 to 2000 meters.
Researchers also couldn’t figure out why the fish came close to the surface. However, the fish died shortly and was taken to a nearby museum for research purposes.
Video Goes Viral
The video was shared by Condrik_Tenerife, a shark NGO on Instagram whose team had encountered the creature during their research campaign. The video has garnered 13.3 million views. The video has amused netizens who were left shocked seeing the footage.
The NGO wrote, “This could be the first-ever recorded sighting of a live adult Black Devil (Melanocetus johnsonii) or abyssal anglerfish, in broad daylight and at the surface!! A legendary fish that few people have had the privilege of seeing alive.”
The post added, “Emerging from the abyssal depths in vertical swimming, just 2 km off the coast of Tenerife, and during one of our pelagic shark research campaigns, @laiavlr detected this creature at the surface. Immediately after, @vidamarina.tenerife, @sabu726, and @jara.natura captured spectacular and unusual images of the animal.”
It further read: “It is a true predator of the deep, inhabiting the ocean floor between 200 and 2000 meters deep, using its dorsal appendage, full of bioluminescent symbiotic bacteria, as bait to attract its prey, just like in the popular movie Finding Nemo. The reason for its presence in such shallow waters remains uncertain. It could be due to illness, an upwelling current, or escaping from a predator, etc. Its genus “Melanocetus” literally means “black sea monster,” a name that is not surprising given these images. This astonishing discovery did not leave the crew indifferent and will be remembered forever.”
Watch The Video Here:
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