Fauna
Species · GBIF taxon 2414318

Humpback Blackdevil

Melanocetus johnsonii

Also known as Humpback Anglerfish, Black Seadevil, Johnson's Anglerfish

Females drift motionless in the dark bathypelagic zone, dangling a glowing, bacteria-filled esca from their snout to lure unwary prey toward razor-sharp, translucent fangs. Their highly distensible stomachs and pliable bodies allow them to swallow animals considerably larger than themselves in a single gulp. Unlike many other deep-sea ceratioid anglerfish, dwarf males do not fuse permanently as tissue parasites, relying instead on keen olfactory organs to find mates briefly in the abyss.

Deep SeaBioluminescentCarnivore
Humpback Blackdevil reference
Licensed reference(c) Emőke Dénes, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Lanternfish
  • Bristlemouths
  • Deep-sea shrimp
Predators
  • Deep-diving toothed whales
  • Larger bathypelagic fishes
ThreatsDeep-sea mining, marine pollution, and ocean deoxygenation
HabitatsDeep open ocean in tropical to temperate waters worldwide, typically 100–4,500 m deep
Life span3–7 years
Classification
  1. FamilyMelanocetidae
  2. SpeciesMelanocetus johnsonii
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Remote Observation: In nature, living specimens can only be viewed via deep-sea submersibles or ROVs.
  • Preserved Specimens: Museum study requires extreme care as their delicate, gelatinous skin tears easily.
Related species
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