The black devil fish inhabits the deep waters of tropical and subtropical seas, generally at around 2,000 meters deep, where it lives in total darkness and uses its bioluminescence for hunting. Its size varies depending on its stage of development, being a voracious predator that attracts its prey with its bioluminescent appendage and devours them with its large mouth and sharp teeth.
In an extremely rare sighting, an individual of the black devil fish was found near the coast of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. This historic event surprised biologist Laia Valor, who described it as "an almost mythological finding." The fish was taken to the Museum of Nature and Archaeology in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for analysis.
The appearance of this species at the surface is commonly associated with exceptional factors, such as injuries or unusual currents. This fish, known for its dorsal appendage with bioluminescent bacteria, is typical of the deep sea, and its living sighting near the coast is considered an unprecedented fact for marine biology.
A video of the black devil fish, also known as abyssal monkfish, was released by the NGO Condrik Tenerife, showing the specimen just two kilometers off the coast of Playa San Juan, in Guía de Isora. Adults can measure between 20 and 30 centimeters, although some larger females can reach up to 50 centimeters.
The black devil fish is found in the deep waters of tropical and subtropical oceans, mostly in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, at depths exceeding 1,500 meters. Experts consider the sighting of this species at the surface as an extraordinary and uncommon event.
