News Animals

An immune system quirk may help anglerfish fuse with mates during sex

Deep-sea species lack genes involved in the body’s response against pathogens or foreign tissue

Male deep-sea anglerfish

Male deep-sea anglerfish fuse to much larger females during mating, such as this male Melanocetus johnsonii attached to the belly of a female. The loss of key immune system genes may explain how the fish pull off the feat.

Edith A. Widder

By Erin Garcia de Jesús

- More than 2 years ago

For deep-sea anglerfishes, sex resembles an organ transplant.