Head to head
Football-fish vs Anglerfish
Football-fish
VS Anglerfish
Both rely on a glowing lure to hunt in total darkness, but they take very different approaches to how their males survive and reproduce.
| Football-fish | Anglerfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Himantolophidae | Melanocetus johnsonii |
| Body shape | Round, ball-like, covered in spines | Round body with a large gaping mouth and long teeth |
| Male's fate | Remains free-living | Often fuses permanently to a female |
| Classification level | A family of about 20 species | A single specific species |
| Male-female size gap | Present but less extreme | Among the largest of any vertebrate |
| Feeding approach | Lures prey with a glowing organ | Lures prey, then engulfs prey larger than itself |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean |
Football-fish vs Anglerfish: common questions
Do football-fish males fuse to females like some anglerfish males do?
No, football-fish males remain free-living and independent throughout their lives, while male anglerfish in many species bite onto a female and fuse permanently, losing their own eyes and organs in the process.
Which one is a specific species rather than a whole family?
The anglerfish entry here, Melanocetus johnsonii, is a single specific species, while the football-fish refers to an entire family of roughly twenty recognised species sharing a similar body plan.
Which one has the more extreme size difference between males and females?
The anglerfish has the more extreme size gap, among the largest of any vertebrate, while the football-fish also shows a size difference between the sexes but to a less dramatic degree.