Humpback anglerfish

Far below the sunny surface of the ocean, in a world of deep, quiet darkness, lives a small and wonderful fish called the humpback anglerfish. It makes its home between about 200 and 1,500 metres down, where sunlight can no longer reach. Down there the water is inky black, and this little fish has found a clever, glowing way to live.

The female humpback anglerfish carries her very own light. On top of her head she has a soft, bendy spine like a tiny fishing rod, and at the tip is a glowing bulb. The light is not made by the fish herself — it comes from tiny glowing bacteria that live inside the bulb and shine for her. In all that darkness, her little lamp is a soft, magical glow.

Because so little food drifts down to the deep sea, meals are rare and precious. The female waits patiently and uses her glowing light to gently draw curious creatures closer. She has a big mouth and a wonderfully stretchy tummy, so when food does come along she can swallow a meal even bigger than herself. Her large mouth and pointed teeth simply make sure she never misses a rare bite in the dark.

Male humpback anglerfish are much, much smaller than the females, and they do not have a glowing lure at all. In the wide, dark ocean they use their excellent sense of smell to find a female, meet her for a short while, and then swim off again. It is a gentle, quiet way of finding a friend in such a big, dark place.

Humpback anglerfish live in the deep waters of oceans all around the world, and scientists list them as Least Concern, which means they are not in danger. They are a lovely reminder that even in the darkest, coldest parts of the sea, life finds beautiful and surprising ways to shine.