How Female #Anglerfish Evolved to Have It All
The deep-sea #fish ended up with glowing lures not just to snag meals, but also to attract mates, a new study finds.
By comparing the anglers’ preserved bodies and their #DNA, the researchers created a comprehensive anglerfish family tree. Their genealogy hints that the variety of glowing lures may have evolved in order for females to attract not just meals, but also mates.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/science/anglerfish-lure-evolution.html
https://archive.ph/hzU8V
How Female Anglerfish Evolved to Have It All

The deep-sea fish ended up with glowing lures not just to snag meals, but also to attract mates, a new study finds.

The New York Times
The female anglerfish's shiny lure may be as irresistible to her lovers as it is to her prey
Scientists have long known that deepsea female anglerfish use their glowing lures to draw in unwitting prey. Now, a new study posits the appendage may have an additional function — as a beacon for lonely little males, looking for love in the dark abyss.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/anglerfish-mating-lure-9.7170920?cmp=rss
The female anglerfish's shiny lure may be as irresistible to her lovers as it is to her prey
Scientists have long known that deepsea female anglerfish use their glowing lures to draw in unwitting prey. Now, a new study posits the appendage may have an additional function — as a beacon for lonely little males, looking for love in the dark abyss.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/anglerfish-mating-lure-9.7170920?cmp=rss

Development of the Anglerfish Lure

I am a long-time admirer of the anglerfish, one of the ocean's most aesthetic creatures. The University of Kansas news service published a news release about an open access study vt Alex J. Maile and Matthew P. Davis titled The Evolution of Lures in Anglerfishes (Acanthuriformes: Lophioidei): Investigating Nature's Tackle Box. The summary notes that researchers believe that the anglerfish lure first developed in the modern anglerfish's ancestors about 72 million years ago. The researchers […]

https://social.emucafe.org/naferrell/development-of-the-anglerfish-lure-04-20-26/

[Quote] Development of the Anglerfish Lure

I learned that some researchers believe the anglerfish lure first developed in the modern anglerfish’s ancestors some 72 million years ago.

The Emu Café Social