anglerfish

[ ang-gler-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) an·gler·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) an·gler·fish·es.

1. angler ( defs 3, 4 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of anglerfish¹

First recorded in 1645–55; angler + fish

Example Sentences

How did the ghoulish creatures known as anglerfish pull off the evolutionary feat that let them essentially take over the ocean’s sunless depths?

From New York Times

Scientists at Yale University have discovered that a burst of anglerfish diversification began some 50 million years ago as the ancestral line developed a bizarre strategy to ensure successful reproduction in the dark wilderness.

From New York Times

Today, there are more than 300 species of anglerfish, which makes them the most varied family of vertebrates in the ocean’s lightless zone.

From New York Times

To better understand the relationships and ages of anglerfish species, they analyzed genome-scale DNA sequence data from over 100 species together with fossil evidence.

From Science Daily

Some use light to startle predators, “like a burglar alarm,” and others use it to lure prey, as anglerfish do, said Quattrini, who is curator of corals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

From Seattle Times