Monkfish. Monkfish is an angler fish with a repulsive appearance. Flat prey of an anglerfish 7 letters

Whatever they are called - and monkfish, And sea scorpions, and anglerfish, and European anglerfish. However, there are also several varieties of this miracle fish. And in terms of originality of appearance, each of the types is not inferior to each other. People have never seen devils, but the sea monsters that have risen from the depths resemble creatures from the underworld.

In fact, it is just a sea fish - a predator fish with an amazing, unlike anything else appearance.

These fish belong to the ray-finned fish, to the order Anglerfishes, to the family Anglerfishes, to the genus Anglerfishes. Now at water depths There are two varieties of monkfish found on the earth:

European anglerfish (lat. Lophius piscatorius);
American anglerfish (lat. Lophius americanus).

Appearance anglerfish

When you first look at this creature, a remarkable organ immediately catches your eye - the “fishing rod”. The modified fin really resembles a fishing rod with a luminous float. This ugly monster, sometimes reaching up to two meters in length and 30-40 kilograms, can itself regulate the glow of its float. But there is nothing supernatural about this. In fact, the float is a kind of skin formation, in the folds of which amazing bacteria live. In the presence of oxygen, which they draw from the blood of the anglerfish, they glow. But if the monkfish just had lunch and lay down to take a nap, he does not need a glowing flashlight, and it blocks the access of blood to the fin-fishing rod, and the float goes out until the start of a new hunt.

The entire appearance of the monkfish reveals that it is a resident depths of the sea. Elongated body, with an unnatural big head, everything is covered with some kind of growths, vaguely reminiscent of either algae, or tree bark, or some kind of twigs and snags.

The sight of a monkfish going out hunting with an open mouth full of sharp teeth certainly makes an indelible impression. The skin on top is bare brown, covered with dark spots, sometimes with a reddish tint, and a light, almost white belly, serve as a good camouflage for the creature on the dark seabed.

Monkfish habitat

Fish of this species are found in seas and oceans around the world. Although its main refuge is still the Atlantic Ocean. Monkfish are also found off the coast of Europe and Iceland. In addition, it is caught in the Black and Baltic seas, and even in the cold North and Barents seas. It's quite unpretentious bottom fish can safely exist in water at temperatures from 0 to 20 degrees.

Anglerfish can live at different depths from 50 to 200 meters. True, there are also specimens that prefer depths of up to 2000 meters.

Hunters from the deep sea

The best way to spend time for an anglerfish is to lie calmly and well-fed on the seabed in sand or silt. But don't let his motionless body fool you. This is a very voracious but patient creature. A sea scorpion can lie motionless for hours, tracking and waiting for its prey to appear. As soon as some curious fish swims past, the angler instantly grabs it and instantly stuffs it into his mouth.

It should be noted that this fish has an excellent appetite. Very often it feeds on prey that is almost as big as it. Because of this gluttony, unpleasant and even fatal cases occur when anglerfish choke on prey that does not fit in their stomach, although its size is truly enormous. Sometimes they rise to the surface of the water and hunt birds, whose feathers, getting stuck in the mouth, can lead to suffocation. After all, having grabbed the victim, the anglerfish can no longer release it due to the specific structure of its teeth.

Monkfish also have another type of hunting. It literally jumps along the bottom with the help of its lower fins and, overtaking the prey, eats it.

Monkfish- a predator, the subject of his hunt are:

small fish;
small sharks - katrans;
small stingrays or their babies;
a variety of waterfowl.

Family life and reproduction of angler fish

Female monkfish are many times larger than males. The role of males is reduced to just fertilizing the eggs. Moreover, they have become so lazy that when they find a female, they cling to her with sharp teeth and remain with her for the rest of their lives. Over the years, some of their organs atrophy, and they become simply appendages of the female that do not need to hunt because they feed through the female’s blood. Sometimes several males pester a female to fertilize more eggs.

When the mating season begins, the females descend to the depths and release a ribbon of eggs up to 10 meters long. The tape is divided into small hexagonal cells with eggs. It should be noted that a female monkfish can simultaneously lay a clutch of about three million eggs. After some time, the eggs are released and travel on their own in sea waters. Turning into larvae, they live closer to the surface of the water for up to four months, and only when they reach a length of 6-8 cm do they sink to the bottom.

Monkfish as a gastronomic dish

Despite its external ugliness, monkfish meat is very tasty. In Spain and France, dishes made from it are considered a delicacy. Most chefs use only the tail of the fish, but often in restaurants they cook monkfish from the head delicious soup from seafood. Anglerfish meat is prepared in different ways:

grilled;
cooked for soups and salads;
stewed with vegetables.

It is white, almost boneless, dense and tender at the same time, reminiscent of lobster meat.

Monkfish, or anglerfish, is a predatory sea bottom fish that belongs to the class ray-finned fish, subclass new-finned fish, infraclass bony fish, order anglerfish, suborder anglerfish, family anglerfish, genus anglerfish (large anglerfish), or sea devils (lat. Lophius ).

Etymology of the Latin name monkfish not fully understood. Some scientists are of the opinion that it comes from a modified Greek word "λοφίο", meaning a ridge that resembles the jaws of this fish. Other researchers associate it with a kind of ridge running along the entire back. The popular name “anglerfish” appeared due to the long and modified first ray dorsal fin, equipped with a bait (eska) and resembling a fisherman's fishing rod. And thanks to the unusual and unattractive appearance of the predator’s head, it was nicknamed “monkfish”. Due to the fact that angler fish can move along the seabed, pushing off from it with slightly modified fins, in some countries fishermen call them frogs.

Monkfish (fish) – description, structure, photo. What does monkfish look like?

Sea devils are fairly large predatory fish that live on the bottom and reach a length of 1.5-2 meters. The weight of monkfish is 20 kilograms or more. The body and huge head with small gill slits are quite strongly flattened in the horizontal direction. In almost all species of anglerfish, the mouth is very wide and opens almost over the entire circumference of the head. The lower jaw is less mobile than the upper jaw and is slightly pushed forward. Predators are armed with rather large sharp teeth that are curved inward. Thin and flexible jaw bones enable fish to swallow prey that is almost twice their size.

The monkfish's eyes are small, set close together, and located on the top of the head. The dorsal fin consists of two parts separated from each other, one of which is soft and shifted towards the tail, and the second is folded into six rays, three of which are located on the head itself, and three immediately behind it.

The anterior spiny ray of the dorsal fin is strongly shifted towards the upper jaw and represents a kind of “rod”; on its top there is a leathery formation (esca), in which luminous bacteria live, which are bait for potential prey.

Due to the fact that the pectoral fins of the monkfish are reinforced by several skeletal bones, they are quite powerful and allow the fish not only to burrow into the bottom soil, but also to move along it by crawling or using peculiar jumps. The pelvic fins are less in demand during the movement of the angler fish and are located on the throat.

It is noteworthy that the body of the anglerfish, painted in dark gray or dark brown colors (often with chaotically located light spots), is covered not with scales, but with various spine-like projections, tubercles, and long or curly leathery fringe, similar to algae. This camouflage allows the predator to easily set up an ambush in thickets of algae or on a sandy bottom.

Where does the anglerfish (monkfish) live?

The distribution area of the genus of anglerfish is quite extensive. It includes the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the shores of Canada and the United States of America, the eastern Atlantic, whose waves crash on the shores of Iceland and the British Isles, and the cooler depths of the North, Barents and Baltic seas. Certain species of monkfish are found near the coasts of Japan and Korea, in the waters of the Okhotsk and Yellow Seas, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and in the Black Sea. Anglerfish also live in the depths of the Indian Ocean, which covers the southern tip of the African continent. Depending on the species, sea devils live at depths from 18 meters to 2 kilometers or more.

What does monkfish (anglerfish) eat?

In terms of feeding, sea devils are predators. The basis of their diet consists of fish that live in the bottom layer of water. The stomachs of anglerfish include gerbils and cod, small stingrays and small sharks, eels, flounders, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish) and various crustaceans. Sometimes these predators rise closer to the surface of the water, where they hunt for herring or mackerel. Including cases where anglerfish even attacked birds peacefully rocking on the sea waves.

All sea devils hunt from ambush. Thanks to natural camouflage they cannot be noticed when they lie motionless on the bottom, buried in the ground or hidden in thickets of algae. Potential prey is attracted by a luminous bait, which is located at the end of a kind of fishing rod - an elongated ray of the anterior dorsal fin. At the moment when passing crustaceans, invertebrates or fish touch the esky, the monkfish sharply opens its mouth. As a result of this, a vacuum is formed, and a stream of water, along with the victim, who does not have time to do anything, rushes into the mouth of the predator, because the time it takes does not exceed 6 milliseconds.

Taken from the site: bestiarium.kryptozoologie.net

While waiting for prey, the monkfish fish is capable of for a long time remain absolutely still and hold your breath. The pause between breaths can last from one to two minutes.

Previously, it was believed that a monkfish “fishing rod” with bait, moving in all directions, served to attract prey, and anglers opened their big mouth only when you touch the esque of curious fish. However, scientists were able to establish that the mouth of predators automatically opens, even if the bait is touched by any object passing by.

Angler fish are quite greedy and gluttonous. This often leads to their death. Having a mouth and a stomach large sizes, the monkfish is capable of capturing fairly large prey. Because of the sharp and long teeth, the hunter cannot let go of his prey, which does not fit in his stomach, and chokes on it. There are known cases when fishermen found prey in the belly of a caught predator that was only 7-10 cm smaller than the monkfish itself.

Types of monkfish (anglerfish), names and photos

The genus of anglerfish (lat. Lophius) currently includes 7 species:

Lophius americanus (Valenciennes, 1837) – American anglerfish (American monkfish)
Lophius budegassa (Spinola, 1807) – black-bellied anglerfish, or southern European anglerfish, or budegassa anglerfish
Lophius gastrophysus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1915) – Western Atlantic anglerfish
Lophius litulon (Jordan, 1902) – Far Eastern monkfish, yellow anglerfish, Japanese anglerfish
Lophius piscatorius (Linnaeus, 1758) – European monkfish
Lophius vaillanti (Regan, 1903) – South African anglerfish
Lophius vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1837) – Cape (Burmese) monkfish

Below is a description of several types of anglerfish.

American monkfish (American anglerfish) ( Lophius americanus)

This is dimersal (bottom) predatory fish, having a length from 0.9 m to 1.2 m with a body weight of up to 22.6 kg. Thanks to its huge rounded head and body tapering towards the tail, the American anglerfish resembles a tadpole. The lower jaw of the large wide mouth is strongly pushed forward. It is noteworthy that even with its mouth closed, this predator’s lower teeth are visible. Both the upper and lower jaws are literally studded with sharp thin teeth, inclined deep into the mouth and reaching a length of 2.5 cm. Interestingly, in the lower jaw, almost all monkfish teeth large size and are arranged in three rows. On the upper jaw, large teeth grow only in the center, and in the lateral areas they are smaller, and there are also small teeth at the top of the oral cavity. The gills, lacking covers, are located immediately behind the pectoral fins. The eyes of the small monkfish are directed upward. Like all anglerfish, the first ray is elongated and has a leathery growth that glows due to the bacteria that have settled there. The leathery coverings of the back and sides are colored chocolate brown in various shades and covered with small light or dark spots, while the belly is dirty white. The lifespan of this species of monkfish can reach 30 years. The distribution area of the American anglerfish includes the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to 670 m, stretching from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Quebec to the northeastern coast of the North American state of Florida. This predator thrives in waters with temperatures from 0°C to +21°C on sandy, gravel, clay or silty bottom sediments, including those covered with destroyed shells of dead mollusks.

European anglerfish (European monkfish) ( Lophius piscatorius)

It reaches a length of 2 meters, and the weight of individual individuals exceeds 20 kg. The entire body of these predators is flattened from the back to the belly. The size of the wide head can be 75% of the length of the entire fish. The European monkfish has a huge crescent-shaped mouth with a large number thin, pointed, slightly hooked teeth, and a lower jaw that is significantly pushed forward. Slit-like gill openings are located behind wide, skeletal-reinforced pectoral fins that allow European anglerfish to move along or burrow along the bottom. The soft, scaleless body of these bottom-dwelling fish is covered with a variety of bony spines or leathery growths of various lengths and shapes. The same “decorations” in the form of a beard border the jaws and lips, as well as lateral surface European monkfish heads. The posterior dorsal fin is located opposite the anal fin. The anterior dorsal fin consists of 6 rays, the first of which is located on the anglerfish’s head and can reach a length of 40-50 cm. At its top there is a leather “bag” that glows in the dark layers of bottom water. The color of individuals varies somewhat depending on the habitat of these fish. The back and sides, covered with dark spots, can be colored brown, reddish or greenish-brown, in contrast to the belly, which is white. The European monkfish lives in the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the shores of Europe, from the coast of Iceland to the Gulf of Guinea. These “cute creatures” can be found not only in the cold waters of the Northern, Baltic and Barents seas or in the English Channel, but also in the warmer Black Sea. European anglerfish live at depths from 18 to 550 m.

Black-bellied anglerfish (South European anglerfish, Budegassa anglerfish) ( Lophius budegassa)

In structure and shape, this species of marine fish is very close to its European relative, but unlike it, it has a more modest size and a head that is not so wide relative to the body. The length of the monkfish ranges from 0.5 to 1 meter. The structure of the jaw apparatus is no different from individuals of other species. This species of monkfish gets its name from its distinctive black abdomen, while its back and sides are colored in varying shades of reddish brown or pinkish gray. Depending on their habitat, the body of some individuals may be covered with dark or light spots. The leathery outgrowths of a yellowish or light sandy color that border the jaws and head of the black-bellied anglerfish are short in length and located quite sparsely. The lifespan of the black-bellied monkfish does not exceed 21 years. This species is widespread in the waters of the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean throughout the entire space - from Great Britain and Ireland to the coast of Senegal, where monkfish lives at depths of 300 to 650 m. The black-bellied anglerfish can also be found in the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas at depths of up to 1 kilometer

Far Eastern monkfish (yellow anglerfish, Japanese anglerfish) ( Lophius litulon)

It is a typical inhabitant of the waters of the Sea of Japan, Okhotsk, Yellow and East China Seas, as well as a small part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, where it is found at depths ranging from 50 m to 2 km. Individuals of this species grow up to 1.5 meters in length. Like all representatives of the genus Lophius, the Japanese monkfish has a horizontally flattened body, but unlike its relatives it has more long tail. Sharp teeth curved towards the throat in the lower, forward jaw are arranged in two rows. The leathery body of the yellow anglerfish, covered with numerous outgrowths and bony tubercles, is colored in a single color. brown, over which light spots with darker outlines are randomly scattered. Unlike the back and sides, the belly of Far Eastern monkfish is light. The dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are dark in color, but have light tips.

Cape Anglerfish, or Burmese monkfish, ( Lophius vomerinus)

It is distinguished by a huge flattened head and a rather short tail, occupying less than one third of the length of the entire body. The size of adult individuals does not exceed 1 meter. Their life expectancy is no more than 11 years. The Cape anglerfish lives at depths of 150 to 400 m in the southeastern Atlantic and western Indian Ocean, along the coasts of Namibia, Mozambique and Republic of South Africa. The light brown body of the Burmese monkfish is strongly flattened from the back towards the abdomen and covered with a fringe of numerous leathery growths. The esca, located at the top of the long first ray of the dorsal fin, resembles a flap. The gill slits are located behind the pectoral fins and just below their level. The lower part of the body (abdomen) is lighter, almost white.

Reproduction of anglerfish (monkfish)

To spawn, females and males of monkfish descend to depths from 0.4 km to 2 km. In southern latitudes, the mating season of fish occurs at the end of winter or beginning of spring. IN northern regions this time shifts to mid-spring - early summer, and for Japanese monkfish, spawning begins at the end of summer. Having descended into deep water, female anglerfish begin to spawn, and males cover them with milk. After the mating season, hungry adult females and males swim to shallow water, where they feed intensively until the fall, preparing for wintering at great depths.

The laid eggs form a ribbon covered with mucus. Depending on the type of monkfish, its width ranges from 50 to 90 cm, its length is from 8 to 12 m, and its thickness is from 0.4 to 0.6 cm. These ribbons drift unhindered across the expanses of water. Such peculiar clutches usually consist of 1-3 million eggs, separated from each other and located in mucous hexagonal cells in a single layer. European monkfish have large caviar, its diameter can be about 0.23-0.4 cm. American anglerfish caviar is smaller (only 0.15-0.18 cm in diameter).

After some time, the walls of the cells begin to collapse, and the eggs, thanks to the drops of fat contained in them, do not settle to the bottom, but float freely in the water. A few days later, the anglerfish larvae hatch. Unlike adults, they have a non-flattened body with large pectoral fins. Characteristic feature their ventral and dorsal fins have strongly elongated anterior rays. Hatched monkfish larvae live in the surface layer of water for 15-17 weeks. They feed on small crustaceans carried by water currents, larvae of other fish species, pelagic eggs, etc.

Taken from: fishes.science

Growing up, the larvae undergo metamorphosis: gradually their body shape becomes like that of adults. Having reached a length of 60-80 mm, the fry descend to greater depths. When young individuals grow to a length of 13-20 cm, they inhabit medium depths, but sometimes they can be seen near the shore. In the first year of life, the growth rate of monkfish is very fast, and then it slows down.

Commercial importance of monkfish

Despite its name and peculiar appearance, monkfish is an edible bottom-dwelling fish that is of quite great commercial importance. Environmentalists are even trying to ban its fishing on the European coast, since here angler fish are caught not with fishing rods, but with the help of nets and trawls. The meat of representatives of the genus Lophius has excellent taste and is similar to lobster meat. It has almost no bones, it white, dense consistency, but at the same time tender. French and Spanish gourmets consider it a delicacy.

The predator's head is used to prepare delicious rich broths and seafood soups. Boiled monkfish meat is added to various salads, cut into pieces or cubes, it can be grilled or stewed with vegetables. Steamed or baked anglerfish meat in parchment paper in an ideal way suitable for dietary nutrition, since the fat content in it is minimal, and there are no carbohydrates at all in the presence of a large amount of proteins, various minerals, amino acids, as well as vitamins B, E, PP, A and D. In addition, the calorie content of monkfish is only 68.2 kcal.

Representatives of the genus Lophius are often called not only monkfish, but also “tail fish.” The nickname appeared due to the fact that angler fish in stores usually appear already cleaned and without a head. In fact, only one tail remains on the shelves.
Sea devil fish are able to masterfully camouflage themselves at the bottom of reservoirs. It’s not just the ability to change body color that helps them become invisible. environment(stones, driftwood, algae), but also its own appearance. The head of the fish, the edges of its jaws and lips, and the skin are overgrown with appendages, hanging fringes and tufts, reminiscent of algae leaves that move in the water.
Residents of the tropics have many legends about the angler fish, which is terrible in appearance and attacks swimmers. But if we compare the number of people injured by sharks, octopuses or barracudas, then the number of victims from monkfish teeth is quite small. The predator almost never attacks humans, because divers usually do not swim to depths of 700 m or more. Fish can harm scuba divers only when they rise after spawning in coastal waters and being very hungry. At this time, swimmers should not approach, much less stroke, the monkfish, because he may bite your hand.
The meat and liver of this bottom-dwelling fish are considered a delicacy, so there is a threat of extinction of the genus due to its increased fishing. In England, in the winter of 2007, a decision was made to ban the sale of monkfish in the country's supermarket chains.

Monkfish is the most extravagant-looking representative of the Anglerfish class. It lives at impressive depths, thanks to its unique ability to withstand enormous pressure. We invite you to take a closer look at this deep-sea inhabitant, which has amazing taste, and learn some about it interesting facts.

Appearance

Let's get acquainted with the description of the monkfish - a sea fish that prefers deep crevices where sunlight never reaches. The European anglerfish is a large fish, the body length reaches one and a half meters, approximately 70% is in the head, average weight- about 20 kg. Distinctive Features the fish are:

A huge mouth with a large number of small but sharp teeth gives it a repulsive appearance. The fangs are located in the jaw in a special way: at an angle, which makes capturing prey even more effective.
A bare and scaleless scalp with fringes, tubercles and spines also does not adorn a deep-sea inhabitant.
On the head there is a so-called fishing rod - a continuation of the dorsal fin, at the end of which there is a leathery bait. This feature of the monkfish determines its second name - anglerfish, despite the fact that the fishing rod is present exclusively in females.
The bait consists of mucus and is a leathery bag that emits light due to luminous bacteria living in the mucus. Interestingly, each type of anglerfish emits a specific color of light.
The upper jaw is more mobile than the lower jaw, and thanks to the flexibility of the bones, fish are able to swallow prey of impressive size.
Small, close-set round eyes are located on the top of the head.
The color of the fish is inconspicuous: from dark gray to dark brown, which helps anglers successfully camouflage themselves on the bottom and deftly grab prey.

It is interesting how the fish hunts: it hides, exposing its bait. As soon as some careless fish becomes interested, the devil will open his mouth and swallow it.

Habitat

Let's find out where the angler fish (monkfish) lives. The habitat depends on the species. Thus, European anglers prefer to live at a depth of up to 200 meters, but their deep-sea counterparts, of which more than a hundred varieties have been discovered, have chosen for themselves depressions and crevices, where there is very high pressure and no pressure at all. sunlight. They can be found at a depth of 1.5 to 5 km in the seas of the Atlantic Ocean.

Anglerfish are also found in the so-called Southern (Antarctic) Ocean, which unites the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans washing the shores of the white continent - Antarctica. Monkfish also live in the waters of the Baltic, Barents, Okhotsk and off the coast of Korea and Japan; some species are found in the Black Sea.

Varieties

Sea devils are fish from the order Anglers. Currently, eight species are known, one of them is extinct. Representatives of each of them have a characteristic terrifying appearance.

American anglerfish. Belongs to the benthic species, the body length is impressive - adult females often more than a meter. In appearance they resemble tadpoles due to their huge heads. Average duration life - up to 30 years.
Southern European anglerfish or black-bellied fish. The body length is about a meter, the name of the species is associated with the color of the peritoneum; the back and sides of the fish are pinkish-gray. The average life expectancy is about 20 years.
The Western Atlantic anglerfish is a bottom-dwelling fish, reaching a length of 60 cm. It is the target of the fishery.
Cape (Burmese). The most noticeable part of its body is its giant flattened head, and it also has a short tail.
Japanese (yellow, Far Eastern). They have an unusual body color - brown-yellow, and live in the Sea of Japan and East China Sea.
South African. Lives off the southern coast of Africa.
European. A very large anglerfish, whose body length reaches 2 meters, is distinguished by a huge crescent-shaped mouth, small sharp teeth their shape resembles hooks. The length of the fishing rod is up to 50 cm.

Thus, all types of anglerfish have common characteristic features- huge mouth with a large number small but sharp teeth, a fishing rod with bait - the most unusual way hunting among the inhabitants of the underwater depths, bare skin. In general, the fish looks really scary, so the loud name is fully justified.

Lifestyle

Scientists believe that the first anglerfish appeared on the planet more than 120 million years ago. The body shape and specific lifestyle are largely determined by where the monkfish prefers to live. If it is almost flat, if the anglerfish has settled closer to the surface, then it has a body compressed from the sides. But regardless of the habitat, the monkfish (angler fish) is a predator.

Damn - the fish is unique, it moves along the bottom not like its other brothers, but by jumping, carried out thanks to a strong pectoral fin. From this, another name for the sea resident is frog fish.

Fish prefer not to expend energy, therefore, even when swimming, they spend no more than 2% of their energy reserve. They are distinguished by enviable patience, capable long time do not move, waiting for prey, practically do not even breathe - the pause between breaths is about 100 seconds.

Nutrition

Previously, it was discussed how monkfish hunts prey, attracting it with a luminous bait. It is interesting that the fish does not perceive the size of its victims; often large individuals, larger in size than the anglerfish itself, are caught in its mouth, so it cannot eat them. And due to the specifics of the device, the jaw cannot be released.

The anglerfish is famous for its incredible gluttony and courage, so it can even attack scuba divers. Of course, deaths from such an attack are unlikely, but the sharp teeth of an anglerfish can disfigure the body of an unwary person.

Favorite food

As previously mentioned, anglerfish are predators, preferring to use other animals as food. deep sea inhabitants seas. Some of the monkfish's favorite treats include:

Cod.
Flounder.
The slopes are small in size.
Acne.
Cuttlefish.
Squid.
Crustaceans.

Sometimes mackerel or herring become victims of predators; this happens when a hungry angler rises closer to the surface.

Reproduction

The monkfish (anglerfish) fish is amazing in almost every way. For example, the process of reproduction is very unusual for sea creatures, and for wildlife in general. When the partners find each other, the male attaches himself to the belly of his chosen one and grows tightly to her, as if the fish become a single organism. Gradually the process is underway even further - the fish develop common skin, blood vessels, and certain organs of the male - fins and eyes - atrophy as unnecessary. It is because of this feature that for a long time researchers were unable to detect and describe the male anglerfish.

In males, only the gills, heart and genitals continue to function.

Having become familiar with the description of the monkfish and the peculiarities of its way of life, we suggest you learn a few interesting facts about this eerie fish:

Such is the monkfish - unusual creation nature, an inhabitant of the depths and an amazing predator, using a trick not typical for other representatives of the fauna. Thanks to its delicious white meat, practically devoid of bones, the anglerfish is a fish of commercial importance.

Monkfish is a predatory fish of the order Anglerfishes. This species received the name “monkfish” because of its very unattractive appearance. The fish is edible. The meat is white, dense, boneless. Monkfish is especially popular in France.

Whatever they call them - sea devils, sea scorpions, angler fish, and European anglerfish. However, there are also several varieties of this miracle fish. And in terms of originality of appearance, each of the types is not inferior to each other. People have never seen devils, but the sea monsters that have risen from the depths resemble creatures from the underworld.

It is worth saying that in aquatic fauna There is also another monkfish - a mollusk, but now we will talk about a representative of ray-finned fish.

In fact, it is just a sea fish - a predator fish with an amazing, unlike anything else appearance. These fish belong to the ray-finned fish, to the order Anglerfishes, to the family Anglerfishes, to the genus Anglerfishes. Now in the watery depths of the earth there are two varieties of monkfish.

Appearance

At the first glance at this creature, a remarkable organ immediately catches your eye - the “fishing rod”. The modified fin really resembles a fishing rod with a luminous float. This ugly monster, sometimes reaching up to two meters in length and 30-40 kilograms, can itself regulate the glow of its float. But there is nothing supernatural about this. In fact, the float is a kind of skin formation, in the folds of which amazing bacteria live. In the presence of oxygen, which they draw from the blood of the anglerfish, they glow. But if the monkfish just had lunch and lay down to take a nap, he does not need a glowing flashlight, and it blocks the access of blood to the fin-fishing rod, and the float goes out until the start of a new hunt.

The entire appearance of the monkfish reveals that it is an inhabitant of the depths of the sea. An elongated body, with an unnaturally large head, all covered with some kind of growths, vaguely reminiscent of either algae, or tree bark, or some kind of twigs and snags.

The body length of the monkfish is about 2 meters, and the animal weighs almost 20 kilograms. The body has a slightly flattened shape. In general, the anglerfish is not a very pleasant-looking fish. It is all covered with some kind of leathery growths that look similar to driftwood and algae. The head is disproportionately large, the monkfish's mouth and mouth are huge and unpleasant.

Habitat

The habitat of this fish is considered to be the Atlantic Ocean. The anglerfish is found off the coast of Europe, off the coast of Iceland. In addition, monkfish were found in the waters Baltic Sea, Black Sea, North Sea and the Barents Sea.

The depth at which these fish usually live is from 50 to 200 meters. Most often they are found at the very bottom, because there is nothing more pleasant for monkfish than just lying quietly on sand or silt. But it is only at first glance that the angler fish is idle. In fact, this is one of the ways of hunting. The animal freezes, waiting for its prey. And when it swims by, it grabs it and eats it.

Nutrition

Mainly, other, usually smaller, fish serve as food for these fish. The monkfish menu consists of Katrans, Silversides, Kalkans, Stingrays and others.

In general, the monkfish is incredibly voracious and therefore boldly rushes even at a seemingly obviously unattainable goal. And in “hungry” moments the sufferer almost complete absence In sight, a large anglerfish rises to the upper layers of water from the depths and at such moments it is capable of attacking scuba divers. You can meet such an inhabitant of the deep sea just at the end of summer, after a grueling hungry spawning, the “devils” go to shallow water, where they eat intensively until the fall, after which they go to wintering in greater depths.

However, compared to sharks, barracudas and octopuses, true sea devils or anglerfish do not pose an immediate danger to humans. Be that as it may, their terrible teeth can disfigure the hand of an unwary fisherman for life. However, the monkfish does much more damage not to humans, but to others commercial species fish Thus, there are legends among fishermen that, having fallen into a fishing net, he ate the fish that got there while he was there.

Reproduction

The male and female anglerfish are so different in appearance and size that until some time experts classified them as different classes. The breeding of monkfish is as special as its appearance and hunting method.

The male anglerfish is several times smaller in size than the female. To fertilize the eggs, he needs to find his chosen one and not lose sight of her. To do this, males simply bite into the female’s body. The structure of the teeth does not allow them to free themselves, and they do not want to.

Over time, the female and male grow together, forming a single organism with a common body. Some of the “husband’s” organs and systems atrophy. He no longer needs eyes, fins, or a stomach. Nutrients come through the blood vessels from the “wife’s” body. The male only has to fertilize the eggs at the right moment.

They are usually spawned by the female in the spring. The fertility of the anglerfish is quite high. On average, a female lays up to 1 million eggs. This occurs at depth and looks like a long (up to 10 m) and wide (up to 0.5 m) ribbon. The female can carry several “husbands” on her body so that they fertilize a large number of eggs at the right time.

It should be noted that a female monkfish can simultaneously lay a clutch of about three million eggs. After some time, the eggs are released and travel on their own in sea waters. Turning into larvae, they live closer to the surface of the water for up to four months, and only when they reach a length of 6-8 cm do they sink to the bottom.

Monkfish are not able to compare the feeling of hunger with the size of their prey. There is evidence of an angler catching a fish larger than itself, but being unable to release it due to the structure of its teeth. It happens that a monkfish catches a waterfowl and choke on its feathers, which leads to its death.

Monkfish in cooking

Monkfish is suitable both for frying in pieces and for frying in layers on the grill, or cut into cubes and placed on skewers on the grill. Monkfish is boiled and stewed. The fish is especially popular in France, where the meat of its tail is prepared in many ways, for example with blackcurrant jam or sweet potato, and the head of the devil is used for rich, fatty, multi-spiced soup.

Monkfish meat is highly prized in Japan. Not only meat is eaten, but also liver, fins, skin and stomach.

The Chinese prefer to cook monkfish in a wok. Fillet is fried in oil with rice vinegar and soy sauce, sprinkle with ginger and chili. Then the wok is removed from the heat, the fish is covered with coriander and green onions, stir, serve with rice. Everyone who has tried this dish finds it slightly smoky. It's all a play on spices and the characteristics of the wok. The fish turns out tender and very juicy thanks to quick frying.

In America, monkfish is cooked mainly on the grill. The fish is cut into pieces along with the skin and vertebral bone. Marinate with salt olive oil and rosemary. The oil envelops the pieces of fish and prevents them from drying out. Monkfish is served with grilled vegetables, seasoned lemon juice and olive oil.

In America, they prepare carrot puree with monkfish fillet meatballs. The carrots are boiled until soft, then simmered in heavy cream, chopped with the addition of coriander and salt. The monkfish fillet is crushed, mixed with salt and spices, and formed into meatballs the size of walnut, boil them for a couple. The puree is served in deep plates, with a dozen meatballs placed in each and sprinkled with fresh herbs.

In Korea they make it from monkfish national dish Heh and they cook a sweet and spicy soup, to which they add a lot of vegetables and fried monkfish (fillet) in batter. Monkfish meat, seasoned with hot spices, is placed in rice dough(pancakes) and fried in large quantities oils Fish is served with soy sauce.

In gourmet restaurants in a number of countries you can find dishes where monkfish is presented in the following form. The fish is fried and served, poured over sweet and sour sauce, serve poached fish with lemon and lemon zest, as well as poached fish served with parsley or spinach sauce with cheese. Fry fish with chili pepper, smoked paprika and ginger, simmer white wine, cream sauce, milk, baked with tomatoes, fried, strung on rosemary sprigs.

Monkfish is baked in the form of a roll. The fillet is laid out in a layer on film, the filling is placed on top, for example broccoli, and rolled up. The ends of the film are tied, the roll in this form is lowered into water and the fish is boiled for 10 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 86°C. With this method, the fillet remains soft and juicy, but holds its shape perfectly. The fish is served with creamy sauce and potato medallions fried in oil.

Monkfish are not often available for free sale, because... already mentioned above, the fish is under state protection and its catch is limited. Unfrozen monkfish can be found in large hypermarkets at a very high price during a certain season or on the market from private sellers (this is in Europe and America). The rest of the time, if fish is sold, it is frozen, but its price is just as high - 20 euros per 1 kg.

There are probably very few people who would not know about the existence of this mysterious and frightening species of marine life called “monkfish”. But many people think that this is fairy creature, just an idea.

Actually this is not true. The photo shows the monkfish fish in all its splendor. It really exists, but great depth and in the darkness of the sea, probably because of her ugly appearance, which is why she has such a name, the scientists tried their best.

However, under this name, there is already an inhabitant of the aquatic expanses, this is a mollusk. We will talk about it another time. Today our hero is a representative of ray-finned fish from the order Anglerfishes.

Appearance Features

When you look at a monkfish, you immediately notice the presence of a growth on the head with a luminous tip in front of the ugly mouth, the so-called “fishing rod” for their shaped similarity.

With its help, the angler lures the prey and catches it. Hence the common name - anglerfish.

Monkfish fish reaches a length of up to 2 meters and weighs approximately 20 kg. The body shape of the anglerfish is slightly flattened. As a matter of fact, he is far from handsome in appearance and looks, to put it mildly, creepy.

His body is all strewn with ugly skin growths, reminiscent of driftwood and algae. His head is too large in relation to his body and is unpleasant, as is his mouth. The scaleless skin is a dark spotted brown color with a green or red tint; on the abdomen it is slightly lighter, closer to white.

A wide mouth with sharp, huge teeth pointing inward and perioral folds that constantly move for camouflage. The eyes are small, the visual ability is underdeveloped, as is the function of smell. This is such a cute monkfish.

The Anglerfish's Home

The birthplace of European and American type Anglerfish - Atlantic Ocean. However, it was noticeable off the European coast, and off the Icelandic coast, and even in the Baltic, Black, North and Barents Seas.

The Far Eastern species of anglerfish has taken root well along the Japanese and Korean coasts, in the Okhotsk, Yellow, and South China seas.

Living conditions and character of the anglerfish in its native environment

Sea devils live in underwater depths from 50 to 200 m, closer to the very bottom, its native element, where it can lie in complete peace on a sandy or muddy bed, or among stones.

But don’t think that he is lying inactive. This is his way of hunting for prey. The anglerfish lies motionless and waits. And at the moment when prey swims nearby, it instantly pounces on it and absorbs it.

And it happens that with the help of fins, it jumps and begins to chase the victim and successfully overtakes it. Anglers are predatory fish.

Anglerfish food

Basically, the diet of monkfish fish consists of smaller fish: Katrans, silversides, kakanas, stingrays, etc. Lured by the light of the anglerfish, the small fish fall straight into its mouth.

Monkfish will not disdain crustaceans either. During special periods, Zhora can replenish its menu with herring or mackerel and even waterfowl.

Features of procreation

Male anglerfish are much smaller in size. To fertilize the eggs, they need to find a mate and not miss her, so they literally bite into her forever.

After some time, they grow into each other, forming a single whole, as a result of which part of the male’s organs dies. Nutrients transmitted by blood from the female.

The angler-husband only needs to fertilize the eggs at a certain point.

During the sexually mature period, to procreate, female anglerfish descend to depths of almost 2000 m to lay eggs. A female anglerfish can lay a clutch of approximately 3 million eggs, which forms a wide ribbon of about 10 m with cells in the form of hexagons (honeycombs).

After some time, these so-called honeycombs are destroyed. As a result, the eggs become free and are carried in all directions by currents.

A few days later, tiny larvae are born from the eggs, and after 4 months they are already fry. The fry, 6 cm long, independently sink to the bottom of shallow water.

Anglerfish and people

Hunting for people is not a vital necessity for anglers; it is not his style. But a person can actually get wounded if he gets stuck on a monkfish thorn.

However, to the most annoying visitors, he can show his sharp teeth in practice, dashingly grabbing the curious.

In America and some European countries In the restaurant business, anglerfish meat is used as a delicacy that tastes like lobster. In Asian countries, monkfish is used in cooking. Because of this, there is a real hunt for such a creepy-looking fish.

Curious facts

Anglers, when hungry, are able to catch larger prey than usual. And because of the structure of their teeth, they cannot release it back, and in the end they may even die.