Rare super black fish swims at a depth of nearly 800 m

Scientists have filmed a super-black anglerfish that can absorb at least 99.5% of light in deep waters off the coast of California.

Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) discovered an unidentified fish belonging to the genus Oneirodes , order Lophiiformes (angler fish or angler fish), Live Science reported on November 15. They filmed the animal at a depth of 781 meters (2,500 feet) below the surface using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in Monterey Canyon, a massive underwater canyon that stretches more than 470 kilometers (290 miles) off the coast of California, USA.

The team stumbled upon the football-sized fish while collecting small, spiny creatures called phaeodarians, which float in the water column and feed on falling organic debris (marine snow). According to a statement from MBARI, this is the first Oneirodes fish observed in Monterey Canyon since 2016.

In the video, marine snow floats around the animal, but viewers can barely make out its details other than the outline of its body. That's because the fish's skin is so dark it absorbs a lot of light and acts as an invisibility cloak, according to Bruce Robinson, a senior scientist at MBARI.

This fish belongs to a group of “ultra-black” deep-sea creatures, absorbing at least 99.5% of the light that hits them. According to a 2020 study in the journal Current Biology , there are 15 other marine species that can absorb such large amounts of light. The study revealed that their skin is packed with melanosomes – cells that contain the pigment melanin, which is also the pigment that gives human skin its color. The shape and structure of these cells allows them to absorb almost all wavelengths of light that hit the skin.

“The super-black skin completely absorbs any incoming light, including the bright light from the fish’s streetlight-like lure. There’s nothing to reflect and give away its location,” explains study co-author Karen Osborn, a zoologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and MBARI. This allows Oneirodes to hide while lying in wait, using its luminescent lure, which resembles a fishing rod, to lure in prey.

Their uncanny camouflage also helps them hide from predators. When the MBARI team spotted the Oneirodes , it was using a decoy. But the animal quickly turned off the lights when it realized it was being watched. The scientists determined it was a female based on its size. Female Oneirodes can grow up to 37 cm long, while males are only about 1.3 cm long.

Thu Thao (According to Live Science )

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