Tuesday February 11, 2025
Oceanographic —
Researchers working on a shark research campaign for the NGO Condrik were surprised by an unexpected visitor off the coast of Tenerife last week, sparking excitement from marine biologists around the world.
Usually found at depths of between 200 and 2,000 metres, an adult abyssal humpback anglerfish or Melanocetus johnsonii was seen near the surface in what might be the first-ever sighting of the species in broad daylight.
Previous sightings have been limited to submarine images, dead individuals or larvae.
Just 2 kilometres off the coast of Tenerife, the underwater photographer David Jara Boguñá first spotted the otherworldly deep-sea fish.