Angler fish
Lophius piscatorius
- Scientific name
- Lophius piscatorius
- Group
- Reef fish
- Rarity
- Rare
- Where to see it
- Temperate Atlantic / English Channel, Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
The angler fish hunts by ambush, buried in the sand, wiggling a fleshy lure above its head to draw prey within reach of its enormous mouth. It can swallow fish nearly as large as itself.
What defines this group — Reef fish
The bony fish that live against coral and rock: the living backdrop of almost every dive.
- A bony skeleton, scales, and a rigid gill cover closing over the gills.
- A swim bladder acts as a float: they hold their depth without swimming.
- Many change colour, pattern — sometimes even sex — over the course of their life.
Other species in this group
- Ocellaris clownfish
- Blue tang
- Red lionfish
- Spot-fin porcupinefish
- Mediterranean moray
- Clark's anemonefish