Black Seadevil Anglerfish Recorded In Daylight For The First Time Ever In Eerie Footage

Our world is full of so many amazing creatures! While there are plenty we absolutely adore (like these adorable piglets playing in the snow) there are others that… well, in all honesty, freak us out. That is certainly true of an animal called the Black seadevil anglerfish. Like all anglerfish, this one looks like the stuff of nightmares.

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There are two ways in which this creature is typically observed by humans. The first is through a dead adult specimen. The other takes place via filming by submarine. So, when a group of researchers off the coast of Tenerife saw a Black seadevil swimming around in person, they were totally shocked! See the footage they captured in the video below.

“This could be the world’s first recorded sighting of an adult black devil or abyssal anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) alive, in broad daylight and on the surface!!” David Jara Boguñá, one of the researchers shares in a translated post. “A legendary fish that few people will have had the privilege of observing alive.”

So, why is it so impossible to observe a Black seadevil like this? They don’t typically swim in areas of water that are possible for us humans to reach. That’s because they truly are the definition of a deep-sea predator. Usually, you’ll find them living on the seabed. That’s between 656 and 6,561 feet (or a little over a mile).

“The reason for its presence in such shallow waters is uncertain,” David’s post continues. “It may be due to illness, an upwelling current, fleeing a predator, etc.”

There’s no denying the Black seadevil is unsettling to look at. Still, that doesn’t take away the fact that this encounter is absolutely incredible! And, personally, we’re more than happy to only ever admire this creature from a safe distance… and through our phones.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!