How do anglerfish mate in one of nature's strangest rituals?
Male deep-sea anglerfish permanently fuse their bodies to females, sharing blood and organs until they become little more than a sperm-producing parasite.
The answer
In several species of deep-sea anglerfish (suborder Ceratioidei), males are dramatically smaller - sometimes just 6 millimeters - and practice sexual parasitism. When a male finds a female, he bites into her skin and releases enzymes that fuse his tissue and circulatory system with hers. His organs gradually degenerate - eyes, fins, and digestive system dissolve - until he becomes a permanent parasitic appendage providing sperm on demand. A single female can carry six or more fused males. In 2020, researchers discovered that anglerfish achieve this fusion because they lack key components of the adaptive immune system, preventing tissue rejection. This is the only known case of natural immunological tolerance enabling permanent sexual parasitism in vertebrates.
Source: National Geographic
- anglerfish
- parasitic mating
- deep-sea biology
More from Ocean & Deep Sea
- How much of the ocean has actually been explored?
- What are hydrothermal vents and how do they support life?
- How do whales communicate across entire ocean basins?
- What are brine pools on the ocean floor?
- What is at the very bottom of the Mariana Trench?
- How do ocean currents regulate global climate?