Photos: Rare Deep-Sea Angler Fish National Geographic recently
posted photographs of the Chaunacops coloratus, a rare and
colorful deep-sea angler, which wasn’t discovered alive until
2002 when one was spotted near a seamount off the coast of
California. A more recent expedition in 2010 turned up six more
of the strange-looking fish. The fish, which is bright red as an
adult, seems to change colors during its lifetime with the
adolescents being blue and purple colors. Although it’s a strong
swimmer, the angler also uses its fins to “walk” along the
seafloor for shorter distances. The angler feeds by using its
esca, a dangling piece of flesh, as a lure to fixate curious
passers-by, which it then ambushes and eats. Scientists suspect
that the angler is also luminescent, although this has not been
documented yet. Take a look at the photographs.