#chaunacops

Sea Toads: The Cutest Anglerfish

Think you know what an anglerfish looks like? This one might surprise you! The most famous deep-sea anglerfish swim through the water, but the majority of anglerfish species are actually bottom-dwellers. While their looks and lifestyles vary, most anglerfish species entice prey close enough for an ambush using a lure called an esca. The anglerfish in this video belongs to the genus Chaunacops, and is sometimes called a “sea toad” or “coffinfish,” along with other species in the family Chaunacidae. We found this frowning individual during the Deep Connections 2019 project. You can browse more discoveries from this expedition on our website: Deep Connections 2019: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts of the United States and Canada (EX1905) - NOAA Ocean Exploration

A Chaunacops (a genus of bony fish in the sea toad family Chaunacidae) is seen at a depth of 1388.65 meters on Seamount SF2 inside the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park.

Chaunacops sp. fish and pingpong tree sponge for day two of @mbari-blog @montereybayaquarium Deep Sea December — “Red”

Silly fish spotlight! Chaunacops fish