Anglerfish dangle a glowing lure above their heads to draw curious prey within reach.

The longer version

A fleshy rod grows forward over the head, tipped with a sac packed with glowing bacteria that the fish keeps supplied through the bloodstream. Muscle controls how much light leaks out, so the bait can be hidden or revealed rather than burning continuously.

Prey that approaches meets a mouth that opens enormously and hinges inward, generating suction strong enough to swallow anything nearby with almost no chase. Since encounters are rare in deep water, drawing food in beats pursuing it, and a very stretchable stomach copes with prey nearly the size of the hunter itself.

Where this entry sits

Oceans and Sea Life looks at the salt water that covers most of the planet, from crashing waves and tides to the darkest deep-sea trenches. Expect notes on coral, fish, whales, sharks, jellyfish, shells, and the strange creatures that live far below the surface. The full list sits on the Oceans and Sea Life page, where every entry is listed in order.

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More From Oceans and Sea Life

Eight more entries

Seashells are made by molluscs, which build them layer by layer from minerals in seawater.

Hermit crabs borrow empty shells for protection and swap them as they grow larger.

Sea otters use stones as tools to crack open shellfish resting on their chests.

Seagrass meadows grow on the seabed and provide shelter for young fish and small crustaceans.

Kelp forests rise from the seafloor in cold coastal water and sway with the moving tide.

Plankton drift with the currents and form the base of nearly every ocean food chain.

Phytoplankton are microscopic drifters that photosynthesise and supply a large share of the world's oxygen.

Flying fish glide above the waves on wide fins to escape predators chasing from below.

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