WATCH: Rare ‘Black Demon' fish spotted alive for first time

Yahoo

10-02-2025

(WJW) – A deep-sea anglerfish, known as the Black Demon, had a rare spotting off the coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Condrik Tenerife, which specializes in shark and ray research and conservation in the Canary Islands, described the sighting as a 'surprising find.'
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Marine Wildlife Photographer David Jara Boguñá posted a video of the sighting saying, 'This could be the first recorded sighting in the world of a black demon or adult abyssal (Melanocetus johnsonii) alive, in broad daylight and on the surface!!'
Condrik Tenerife said the fish was a humpback anglerfish, a type of black seadevil.
The scary-looking fish is usually found in water depths of 1,500 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches and where it uses its bioluminescent light to attract its prey.
'To date, records have mostly consisted of larvae, dead adults, or specimens spotted by submarines during deep-sea scientific expeditions,' Condrik Tenerife said.
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Condrik Tenerife also described the animal as, 'A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive.'
'Apparently, the existing records to date correspond to larvae, dead adult specimens or those recorded with submarines,' Boguñá said on Instagram. 'The motive for its presence in such shallow waters is uncertain. Maybe due to illness, an upstream, fleeing a predator, etc.'
The encounter was described as a 'surprising find' that will be remembered forever.
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