Meet the Adorable Anglerfish Named Chaunacops

These little pink angler fish might be the cutest thing you see today. While exploring in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, our scientists IDed these ambush predators as a member of the genus Chaunacops, sometimes called “sea toads”. We don’t know what’s more difficult - learning how to pronounce its name or spotting the lure it uses to attract prey! Watch the video and decide for yourself.

These deep-sea bottom-dwellers are recognizable by their round bodies, short tails, and of course, their famous lures which are actually modified luminescent fin rays. It’s not surprising to spot them here as studies have shown Chaunacops residing across the Pacific on volcanic slopes encrusted with manganese like the ones we’re surveying for the first time ever. 

Check out more of the astounding diversity of marine life seen during our deep dive explorations of this small chain of Cretaceous "hotspot" or "mid-plate" #volcanoes.