With just 7 centimeters in lengththe specimen of “black devil” or abyssal monkfish found in waters of Tenerife on January 26 is A female In excellent condition, without broken bones or bites. Now, he has been deposited in the Natural Sciences Museum of the island available to researchers, who will carry out genetic studies.
The sighting occurred near the coast of Playa San Juan, in the municipality of Tenerife of Guide de Isoora and, to date, according to the Marine Biologist Laia Valo, Only larvae or dead adult specimens would have been sighted so close to the surface. Now, the biologist and collaborator Marc Martín has been in charge of giving this copy to the museum.
In his presentation to the media this Friday, the Minister of Culture and Museums of Tenerife, José Carlos Achahas defined the deposit where the so -called “wet collection” of specimens – more than one – as the Sancta Sanctorum of the museum, facilities that consult researchers around the world. In addition, he thanked Martín to have donated this unique copy, that he will enrich the collections of the center: “He has attracted the gaze of many people beyond our borders, which means A unique opportunity to highlight and make visible the conversation work that the museum and their workers do daily. ”
A species and many questions
Once deposited in the museum, it has been identified by taxonomic keys and it has been confirmed that the specimen belongs to the species MELANOCETUS JOHNSONIIcommonly known as Black Devil. They ensure that it is exceptional that it appeared alive on the surface, although it did not present a “very flattering” state and He died shortly after being rescued.
The conservative of Marine Biology of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Tenerife, Alejandro de Vera, has indicated that it is a known species in the Canary Islands for several decades, although Your sighting is not usual. It usually dwells between 200 and 3,000 or 4,000 meters deep, in the abyssal plains.
“And why was the fish there? We do not know or we will probably know. They are unknown animals that have some swimming capacity, but not enough. He could have been sick or dragged by a deep fishing that ended up taking him to the surface. The truth is that I was complete, without a predator bites“The Marine Biologist has pointed out.
MELANOCETUS JOHNSONII, The Black Devil
His scientific name refers to the Greek words “melanos” Black, “Keto”, a mythological marine monster and Johnsonii, is dedicated to the British naturalist James Yate JohnsonBotany and Earth’s enthusiast and marine biology that collected the first known specimen of this fish.
“It is an inhabitant of the Mesopegic, Batial and Abisal areas, environments in which Total darkness reigns, low temperatures -An four and less degrees- and the lack of biological production, “the scientist has detailed. In this hostile habitat for animal life, organisms depend on the food that comes from the vertical movement of living beings, due to the sinking of organic remains from the upper areas.
In this context, abyssal fish have developed Evolutionary adaptations to efficiently exploit the available resources. In addition, they have large mouths with sharp and curved teeth inwards, capable of ingesting dams of a size higher than the fish; stomachs that can be delayed to digest the catches and structures from radios of the dorsal fin modified as a fishing cane to attract potential prey.
It is not the only abyssal fish deposited in the Museum of Natural Sciences of Tenerife: there is already a copy of Corning flashlight fish. He is a female 21 centimeters in length that carried a hondura hake of 36 centimeters long, much larger than her predator inside her stomach.
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