Infographic: Meet the black seadevil: Isn’t she beautiful?

While conducting research into the effects of declining oxygen levels on deep-sea animals, researchers spotted and caught on video what they believe to be a rare species of anglerfish called Melanocetus johnsonii.

A close look at the black seadevil

Where was it seen?

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute saw the fish and shot the footage at a depth of approximately 1,886 feet in Monterey Canyon. In 25 years of diving into the canyon, only three anglerfish have been sighted. This is the first of this species that has been seen.

Sources: Bruce Robison, research division chair and senior scientist; Kim Fulton-Bennett, public information specialist; David Fierstein, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute