Never before seen footage of the alien-like angler fish and its mating behaviors has surfaced, stunning the scientists who study the deep sea creatures.
“I’ve been studying these [animals] for most of my life and I’ve never seen anything like it,” researcher Ted Putsch of the University of Washington told Science, noting that no videos exist of “sexually united” angler fish. “So you can see how rare and important this discovery is…it was really a shocker for me.”
Filmed in Portuguese waters by a unique submersible captained by deep-sea explorers Joachim and Kirsten Jakobsen, the husband and wife team had to descend to 800 meters — or nearly half a mile — below the ocean’s surface to find the fist-size angler fish and the dwarf male latched onto her. The two have a parasitic relationship: She provides him with nutrients, and he provides her with sperm. Eventually, the male’s eyes, fins and some of his internal organs will atrophy from lack of use, and will continue to hang from the female, taking food and providing her with sperm as needed.
Take a look at the video below.
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