Its pectoral and ventral fins are formed so that they act as feet.

This feature makes it possible for the fish to walk on the bottom of the sea.

The monkfish body is made in such a way that it can conceal itself in its surroundings, waiting for its prey to come.

It is also known as poor man’s lobster. The common name for this species is goosefish, monktail, and fishing frog amongst others.

Some species of the monkfish have three long filaments shooting out from the middle of its head. Out of these, the middle one acts like a radar which attracts prey towards it.

The monkfish then seizes them and devours them completely with help of the long pointed teeth, which are inclined inwards.

Out of all the monkfish species, the devil anglerfish faces the greatest threat to its survival. They have the capacity to swallow the whole prey at one go.

Monkfish are some of the most strange-looking species in the world. The sub-species like devil anglerfish look really threatening in appearance.

They have a broad head that has an extremely wide mouth and flattened bodies.

Their mouth extends all around their head. The mouth is lined with long pointed teeth which are inclined inwards.

The heads are so big that the rest of the body almost looks like addition or an appendage. They can grow up to 4.5 ft in length.

The monkfish are known as slow swimmers. They are known to walk on the ocean’s surface. The pectoral and ventral fin of the monkfish are well defined.

Monkfish are known as vicious predators who ambush their prey and swallow them completely. Baby monkfish eat miniature zooplankton.

There are many species of the angler monkfish that are common across the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian oceans. They are also found in the north sea and Mediterranean sea.

Finding an east Atlantic species is an easy task as they can be easily located along European coasts. The east Atlantic species is found along the coasts of Europe.

American angler are found on the North American side of the Atlantic. They are also found near the coast of Japan and China.

The black monkfish and white anglerfish are found in shallow waters from 800 m deep to deeper waters of 1000 m.

The goosefish migrate seasonally from the month of February through October to spawn and feed. The male and female monkfish release their reproductive eggs directly in the water.

After which, the female monkfish release the egg veils, which contain more than a million eggs. These veils float near the surface for some weeks until the larvae hatch.

All these eggs are arranged in a single layer and after one to three weeks, depending on the temperature the larvae emerge from these eggs.

The female monkfish live for at least 13 years, and males only live for seven years. They are known to swim slowly or rather walk on the ocean floor from place to place.

Are they eaten by humans?Monkfish is eaten by humans for the distinct taste of its meat. Monkfish is a staple in French cuisine.

The tail and liver meat are edible and sold in markets. In the United States and Europe, cooking and fishing for monkfish is regarded as an important delicacy.

This fish is best enjoyed with white wine. But the meat shrinks when cooking as it loses its moisture.

However, their spiny head is not consumed by humans.

Ref: Wikipedia, seapedia, kidadl, salties, fishbase, ncfishes, fishconsult, a-z-animals, descnaPic: Wikipedia, seapedia, kidadl, salties, fishbase, ncfishes, fishconsult, thisfish, commons.wikimedia, board.postjung, wiktionary, climefish, monahansseafood, wikifarmer, cookingismuchmorethanrecipes, thedevonfishmonger, sanfordandsons, bigfishesoftheworld