Anglerfish have long been famous for the way they attract prey.
These slow-moving creatures have developed a way to make their food come to them, using what is essentially a built-in baited fishing rod extending from their foreheads, bringing their food right to the entrance of their mouth.
But when it comes to quirky physiologicaltraits, deep-sea anglerfish have plenty more up their sleeve (um, fins) beyond just having fishing rods coming out of their heads!
The males (dwarfed by their female counterparts that average 10 times larger) physically attach themselves to the female. And this isn’t a fleeting attachment.
The male bites into the female’s flesh and hangs on until his skin tissue eventually fuses with hers. In time, their circulatory systems also connect.
The male, now completely dependant on the female for all of its nutrients, will live and die when the female does.