Video Rare deep-sea anglerfish spotted in shallow waters
Condric Tenerife, an expert in shark and ray research and conservation, was amazed when he spotted a deep-sea anglerfish in shallow waters off the coast of the Canary Islands.
A deep-sea anglerfish that was recently spotted in shallow waters has won the sympathy of hundreds of thousands of social media users in recent days, and the photographer who captured it has shared the creature's fate.
David Jara Boguña, a marine photographer associated with Spanish conservation group Condrik Tenerife, posted a video that went viral on February 13. The fish was captured swimming vertically in shallow waters less than a mile off Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, earlier this month.
However, Jara said the terrifying photos do not reflect the true size of the fish, as the deep-sea creature is only about two inches long.
“Let's start with the size… the little fish was no more than six centimeters,” he recalls. “It looked more like a black pancake than a black monster.”
A deep-sea anglerfish was recently spotted in shallow waters. (David Jara Boguna/Condrick Tenerife via Storyful)
“You've asked me about it many times, but she's never attacked us,” Jara added. “I was more confused by [her presence] than anything else.”
“The second thing I want to clarify is that it was a female, because males are no more than two to three centimeters long,” Jara continued, adding that male anglerfish also lack bioluminescent antennae.
The marine animal expert also discussed a number of reasons why the fish, which can live up to 6,000 feet underwater, might have surfaced.
“There are many hypotheses about this,” Jara admitted. “But the main ones are that the animal was sick, was carried away by the current, or was fleeing from some kind of predator.”
The fish died shortly after it was captured on video. (David Jara Boguna/Condrick Tenerife via Storyful)
The photographer also reported that the anglerfish could have “swallowed some fish and during digestion, gases could have caused it to rise to the surface.”
In response to the millions of responses the video has generated, Jara said he found commenters' references to climate change “pretentious” and dismissed concerns that the fish were a harbinger of an impending apocalypse.
Jara also confirmed that the fish died shortly after it was recorded.
“Unfortunately, as many of you know, [the anglerfish] died and its body was donated to the Museum of Nature and Archaeology of Tenerife,” he said.
The expert's explanation came as millions of social media users mourned the fate of the fish. Initially thought to be “nightmare fuel”, the anglerfish has since inspired fan art and poetry as people try to imagine what its journey from the deep must have been like – with many believing it deliberately emerged into the light in its final moments.
“I can't talk right now. I'm crying over the fish,” one TikTok user wrote under the video, which has been viewed millions of times.
The fish has inspired countless poems on social media as many mourn its death. (David Jara Boguna/Condrick Tenerife via Storyful)
“There's something deeply poetic about finding light after a life of darkness,” another user noted.
“All I do is cry on this damn app,” wrote another.
“Someone said she was blind and couldn't see the light, but she probably felt the change in temperature in the water and knew,” said the fourth.
Sourse: www.foxnews.com
