Anglerfishes: Lophiiformes

Physical characteristics: Sargassumfish have a short fishing rod and smooth skin. The fish are usually camouflaged with streaks, spots, and mottling of brown, olive, and yellow, making them nearly impossible to detect in the seaweed in which they hide.

Geographic range: Sargassumfish live in the western Atlantic, western Pacific, and Indian oceans.

Habitat: Sargassumfish live only in open warm water on the surface in sargassum. Sargassum is a brown seaweed that is a type of algae (AL-jee), plantlike growths that live in water and have no true roots, stems, or leaves.

Diet: Sargassumfish eat anything they can swallow, including fishes as long as or longer than they are. They even eat other sargassumfish.

Behavior and reproduction: Sargassumfish release eggs in an egg veil 35 to 47 inches (90 to 120 centimeters) long and 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) wide.

Sargassumfish eat anything they can swallow, including fishes as long as or longer than they are. (Illustration by Joseph E. Trumpey. Reproduced by permission.)

Sargassumfish and people: Sargassumfish have no importance to people.

Conservation status: Sargassumfish are not threatened or endangered. ∎