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Why Are People Mourning The Death Of An Anglerfish? The Anglerfish Who Swam To The Surface And Died Explained
A rare video of an anglerfish swimming to the surface of the ocean is going viral right now, but people are learning that the beautiful video comes with a tragic ending.
The clip started going viral at the start of February, and now it's inspiring tributes in the way of artwork and memes after reports of the anglerfish's death spread online.
So what exactly is the video, what makes it so special, how did it become the topic of memes and fan art, and how did the anglerfish die? Here's what you need to know about the anglerfish who swam to the surface and died in one of 2025's most viral videos.
What Is The 'Anglerfish Swimming To The Surface' Video And How Did The Fish Die?
A video of an anglerfish swimming to the surface of the ocean was posted to Instagram on February 5th, 2025, and posted to TikTok the next day, garnering millions of views between the two platforms. This is purportedly the first video of an anglerfish, a species of fish that usually lives between 200 meters and 2,000 meters below the ocean, swimming to the surface.
Originally, it was reported that the research team who captured the video wasn't sure why it swam to the surface.
A few days after the video went viral, it was reported by the Spanish newspaper Marca, then later by the New York Times, that the anglerfish died shortly after the video was taken.
Reportedly, the anglerfish had an injury, which is likely the cause of its death and may be the reason why it swam to the surface in the first place.
@jara.natura ¡¡Podría tratarse del primer avistamiento registrado en el mundo de un diablo o abisal adulto (Melanocetus johnsonii) vivo, a plena luz del día y en la superficie!!😱 Un pez legendario que pocas personas habrán tenido el privilegio de observar con vida. Al parecer, los registros existentes hasta la fecha corresponden a larvas, ejemplares adultos muertos o grabados con submarinos. Emergiendo de las profundidades abisales en natación vertical, frente a tan solo 2 km de la costa de Tenerife y durante una campaña de investigación de tiburones pelágicos organizada por la ONG Condrick-Tenerife IG @Condrik_tenerife, la bióloga (IG @laiavlr) detectó este ser en superficie. Acto seguido, los biólogos Marc Martín (IG @vidamarina.tenerife) , Antonio Sabuco (IG @sabu726) , y yo mismo (IG @jara.natura) registraron imágenes espectaculares e inusuales del animal. Se trata de un verdadero depredador de las profundidades, que habita en el fondo marino entre los 200 y los 2000m de profundidad y que utiliza su apéndice dorsal repleto de bacterias simbióticas bioluminiscentes a modo de cebo para atraer a sus presas, de la misma forma que en la popular película de "Buscando a Nemo". El motivo de su presencia en aguas tan superficiales es incierto. Puede que por enfermedad, una corriente ascendente, huyendo de un depredador, etc. Su género "Melanocetus" significa literalmente "monstruo marino ", un nombre que no sorprende con estas imágenes. Ampliamente distribuido, habita los mares tropicales y subtropicales de todo el mundo, siendo citado por primera vez en las costas de Madeira. Este sorprendente hallazgo no dejó a la tripulación indiferente y será recordado para siempre. #pecesabisales #anglerfish #abisal #Melanocetus #islascanarias @DIVEVOLK_ES @Cressi 1946 @Mares @National Geographic España @Nat Geo Animals @National Geographic @National Geographic TV @bbcearth #earthcapture #tenerife #nationalgeographicespaña #faunamarina #buscandoanemo #findingnemo #faunaespañola ♬ Overture – Andrew Lloyd Webber & "The Phantom Of The Opera" Original London Cast
How Is Social Media Reacting To The Anglerfish?
Following the reports of its death, the anglerfish became a massive subject of discussion online as people began to mourn the loss of the creature. Many artists began making paintings, drawings and other types of art telling the story of the anglerfish and its tragic death. One TikToker even animated its story in the style of a Pixar movie.
Some are theorizing that the anglerfish may have swam to the surface due to climate change, while others are coming up with alternate reasons. Ultimately, the anglerfish's story is being portrayed as tragic but beautiful, with many depicting the anglerfish as happy in its final moments because it got to see the sun, something that few other anglerfish ever get to witness.
@drew_j_garcia If Pixar made the Anglerfish film 🥹 #fyp #anglerfish #ai #pixar #animation #shortfilm Watch the behind the scenes here @Drew Garcia ♬ Nemo Egg (From "Finding Nemo") – Extended Edition – Narratio
@savannahbellexoxo #anglerfish #upset #valentinesday ♬ original sound – Savannah Belle 🌙🪐
For the full history of the Anglerfish That Swam to the Surface and Died, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
