In a groundbreaking sighting, the black devil fish, also known as Melanocetus johnsonii, was spotted near the ocean's surface off the coast of Tenerife, Spain, by marine photographer David Jara Boguna, who shared the captured footage in an Instagram post last week.
Researchers believe that the footage captured was potentially the first-ever recorded sighting of the black devilfish in broad daylight.
Typically, the fish is found in the depths of the ocean, between 200 and 2,000 meters deep, Boguna noted in his post.
However, strikingly, this black devil fish was spotted "just 2 km from the coast of Tenerife and during one of our pelagic shark research campaigns," Boguna wrote in his Instagram post.
The reason the sea predator was found in shallow water "is uncertain," Boguna explained, adding that that cause may have been "due to illness, an upstream, fleeing a predator, etc."
'A true predator of the depths'
Boguna described the black devil fish as "a true predator of the depths" that "uses its dorsal appendix filled with symbiotic bioluminescent bacteria as bait to lure its prey, in the same way as in the popular movie Finding Nemo."
"It inhabits the tropical and subtropical seas around the world, being sighted for the first time on the coasts of Madeira," he added, concluding that the "surprising find" would be "remembered forever" by him and his crew.
According to a Saturday MARCA report, the sighting of the sea predator ignited much excitement, as it underscored "the importance of continued marine exploration and the potential for unexpected discoveries, even in relatively well-studied areas."
"The fact that this sighting occurred in Tenerife makes it especially noteworthy, highlighting the unique biodiversity of the Canary Islands region," the report said.
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