Rare Deep Sea Black Devil Anglerfish Spotted Surfaces

Breaking News: A Deep Sea Black Devil Anglerfish?! Whoa!

In a totaly amazing discovery, a team of researchers – I think it was Condrik Tenerife, or maybe someone similar – spotted a rare, elusive thingy, a deep sea black devil anglerfish, swimmin’ near the surface! In broad daylight! Off the coast of Spain! Seriously? My jaw dropped. Scientists are, like, totally stunned. I mean, who wouldn’t be? It’s a black devil fish! They’re eager to learn more, which is good, because I am too!

Meet the Black Devil Fish (or, you know, Melanocetus johnsonii)

This little guy – relatively small, only up to 18 centimeters (7 inches), but don’t let that fool ya – has a fearsome appearance. Seriously scary teeth. And a monstrous shape. Gives me the creeps, honestly.

Physical Characteristics

Characteristic	Description
Length	Up to 18 centimeters (7 inches) – pretty small, right?
Appearance	Distinctive shape, huge teeth, and a bioluminescent lure… on its head! Eek!
Habitat	Deep waters, between 200 and 2,000 meters (660 and 6,600 feet) – usually. This one was a rebel.

Habitat and Distribution

This fish usually hangs out in the deep sea, but apparently, this one decided to take a vacation near the surface. The most recent sighting was near Playa San Juan, in Guía de Isora, Spain. Can you believe it? I’m still processing this.

Location	Depth
Typical habitat	200-2,000 meters (660-6,600 feet) – deep, dark, and scary.
Recent sighting	Near the surface! Off the coast of Playa San Juan, Spain! Crazy!

Behavior and Diet

It’s a predator, naturally. Big teeth, remember? And that bioluminescent lure? It’s like a fishing rod, but way creepier. It attracts prey in the dark depths. Clever, but also kinda terrifying.

Behavior	Description
Diet	Predatory, uses its bioluminescent lure to attract unsuspecting prey. Poor things.
Habitat adaptation	It seems to be adapting to shallower waters… or maybe this one was just feeling adventurous? Who knows!

Conservation Status

It’s not currently listed as threatened, but we don’t really know how many there are. We need to protect these guys and their habitat, especially since they’re so rare.

Conservation Status	Description
Listed as	Not currently listed as threatened, but that could change.
Population	Not well understood. We need more research!
Conservation efforts	Definitely needed! Let’s protect these amazing creatures!

Recent Sightings and Research

Condrik Tenerife, a team of researchers, made this amazing discovery. More research is needed, obviously. This is huge!

Researcher	Institution	Location
Condrik Tenerife (I think?)	Non-governmental organization	Playa San Juan, Spain

Interesting Facts

It’s also called the abyssal anglerfish or black seadevil. Pretty metal names, right?
Scientists are super interested in its bioluminescent lure and its hunting techniques. Me too!

Sources

“Rare Black Seadevil surfaces near Spanish coast, astounding scientists” by JERUSALEM POST STAFF (February 10, 2025)
“Black seadevil anglerfish seen near the ocean’s surface” by CNN (February 10, 2025)

This whole thing is mind-blowing! The discovery near the surface… in broad daylight… It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie. I can’t wait to see what else they discover! This is seriously awesome!