Bulbous deep sea angler

This is an x-ray image of a bulbous deep sea angler along with a corresponding photograph of the specimen in identical pose. Female anglerfish have a natural “fishing pole”—the long first spine of the dorsal fin is tipped with a bulb that may hold luminescent bacteria that attract prey. This anglerfish has a soft, fleshy body and, like many other deep-sea fish, spends its entire life in the water column, never touching bottom.This specimen is a scientifically invaluable holotype, or the single specimen used by science to describe an entire species.