'From this specimen, we have the first documentation of biofluorescence in a deep-sea anglerfish, which will be published in the Journal of Fish Biology. We feel very fortunate to add her to our collection!' Strangely, this specimen was found washed up on a beach in pristine condition. Like all anglerfish, she has a bioluminescent lure (technical term an esca) that is used to attract prey in the pitch-black habitat where she lives between 1,000 and 4,000 feet deep. We know that this specimen is a female due to her size and shape, as males don’t ever get close to this size, and while males of other anglerfish families are known to be parasites that latch onto females, that has never been observed in this family. 'This is a Pacific Footballfish ( Himantolophus sagamius), and she is quite large at about a foot in length.

William Ludt of the extra large anglerfish found on the sand at Crystal Cove State Beach in Newport Beach. 'It's one of only about 30 adult female specimens of this species, and having one washed up in this condition is extraordinary,' said NHM’s Ichthyology Curator Dr. It was a thrilling day for the scientists (and a wide array of fish fans) in the Ichthyology Department in late May when a very rare specimen made its home at the museum.