In May 2021, a Pacific footballfish washed ashore at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach, California. Still in good situation, the not often seen fish featured spikes alongside its physique, sharp enamel, and a bioluminescent lure. But as scientists would go on to find, it additionally had biofluorescent tissue, a attribute by no means seen earlier than in this sort of fish.

Holy crap is the deep sea ever full of all types of bizarre stuff. That this Pacific footballfish (Himantolophus sagamius)—one among 177 recognized anglerfish species—makes use of a bioluminescent lure to catch prey makes full sense, given the animal’s pitch-black atmosphere. But biofluorescence on prime of that? That’s odd, as this type of glow usually requires an exterior mild supply.

“Anglerfishes are known for their ability to produce light, for their bioluminescence,” William Ludt, assistant curator of ichthyology on the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, defined in an e mail. “It was very surprising to discover that their lures, which can already be very impressive, are even more complex than we thought, with fluorescent tissues as well.” Ludt authored the brand new paper with Todd Clardy, collections supervisor for ichthyology at NHM.

Biofluorescence and bioluminescence could sound comparable, however they’re two various things. Bioluminescence describes mild produced by dwelling organisms, on this case bioluminescent micro organism situated on the anglerfish lure. Biofluorescence, however, is when organisms soak up mild from their environment and re-cast it in a colourful glow. This mixture of biofluorescence and bioluminescence has by no means been seen earlier than in anglerfish, however it does exist in some deep-sea fishes like jellyfish and siphonophores.

Biofluorescence is definitely fairly frequent, showing in species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, tardigrades, flying squirrels, platypus, and springhares, along with some fish.

The ichthyologists noticed the biofluorescent tissue with out having to make use of refined instruments or methods. For the brand new research, printed within the Journal of Fish Biology, “all we used was a fluorescent blue light, which just looks like a fancy flashlight, and a filter for our camera—and safety glasses for our eyes!” Ludt instructed Gizmodo. “It just goes to show that sometimes you don’t need an entire lab of expensive equipment to make exciting discoveries.”

Ludt and Clardy speculate that the Pacific footballfish’s biofluorescence is being fueled by its glowing lure, given the absence of every other mild supply within the deep ocean. This explicit species lives at depths of 1,000 to 4,000 toes (305 to 1,220 meters). Swimming in darkness, anglerfish use the information of their lures, recognized to scientists as “esca,” to draw small fish, squid, and different prey, that are simply wolfed once they come too shut. Like moths to a flame, these prey animals can’t resist the sunshine.

“It’s possible that the fluorescent patterns we observed on this fish give it a slight advantage compared to other species that might not fluoresce in addition to bioluminescence, and in a habitat where it is hard to find food, that could make all the difference,” stated Ludt, including that, from an evolutionary perspective, “I think this highlights the many fascinating ways that animals have adapted to live in the deep sea, which is a very inhospitable place.”

The examination of the feminine specimen additionally revealed sharp and really skinny enamel, a few of which level backward to stop prey from escaping after being captured. These fish look scary, however as Ludt identified, they’re not one thing we have to fear about whereas swimming on the seashore, given their deep-sea habitat. Looking forward, the researchers hope to doc as many fish as attainable, “including some of these rarer deep-sea species that only come up to the surface from time to time,” as Ludt defined.

More: Scientists Want to Know Why This Adorable Rodent Can Glow within the Dark.