Researchers have discovered a new species of formidable looking anglerfish in the deep sea during ongoing work on the effects of oil spills on deep-sea marine life, reported Discovery News.
The researchers have described the new species of fish as being "downright scary looking". They have placed the anglerfish in the genus 'Lasiognathus'.
According to Discovery News, co-author Tracey Sutton of Nova Southeastern University said, "As a researcher, the one thing I know is that there's so much more we can learn about our oceans. Every time we go out on a deep-sea research excursion there's a good chance we'll see something we've never seen before - the life at these depths is really amazing."
The unique body of the anglerfish makes survival for this species easier at the water depths where high water pressure and lack of light can make the habitat very difficult to survive in. The anglerfish has an appendage that resembles a fishing pole and has spikes on the top of its head, presumably for defense.
Discovery News quoted Sutton saying, "Finding this new species reinforces the notion that our inventory of life in the vast ocean interior is far from complete. Every research trip is an adventure and another opportunity to learn about our planet and the varied creatures who call it home."
