Shaefer's anglerfish (Sladenia shaefersi)

Description: Once thought to be rare, this deep-sea anglerfish seems to be quite common on deep reef habitats. As with most anglerfish, this clever hunter sits very still on the bottom waiting for prey to swim by. It may use the lure (a modified dorsal fin spine) on the top of its head to trick prey into swimming close enough to become a meal.

Geographic Distribution

Figure 1: Relative probability of occurrence of Shaefer's anglerfish (Sladenia shaefersi) based on computer generated distribution maps. Data source: Aquamaps

Figure 2: Approximate depth range of Shaefer's anglerfish (black box). Slope of seafloor is a generalized representation of the Gulf of Mexico shelf and outer continental shelf.