ZAP’S FACTS!
SEA LIFE

The deep-sea anglerfish male fuses to the female and becomes part of her.

He bites on, melts in, and turns into a permanent attachment that just makes babies.

2 min read
The deep-sea anglerfish male fuses to the female and becomes part of her.
THE FULL STORY

Deep, deep down in the ocean, where it’s pitch black and freezing, lives the anglerfish. The female has a glowing lure dangling above her face, like a tiny fishing rod with a light bulb on the end. Other fish swim toward the light - and right into her enormous toothy mouth.

The males are a completely different story. They’re tiny - about the size of a finger compared to a basketball-sized female - and they have one job: find a female and never let go. Literally. When a male meets a female, he bites onto her side and stays there.

Once attached, his body slowly fuses with hers. His skin melts into her skin. His blood vessels connect to hers. His eyes, his fins, his organs - all dissolve away, leaving just a small bump on her side that contains his testicles, ready to make babies whenever she’s ready. He becomes part of her, permanently.

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