Most people just think the hagfish is horrifying-looking. The more you learn about that species, the more horrifying it becomes. posted by Pope Guilty at 1:35 PM on July 18, 2010
I do not ever want to eat an angler fish. Please do not over-inform me on the sex habits of cod, tuna or whatever was in my sushi last week.
Are they edible, anyway? posted by shinybaum at 1:39 PM on July 18, 2010
What about the second male angler fish? Or the third? Or the fourth? Are they not deterred by all the fused balls stuck on their one love? posted by iamkimiam at 1:46 PM on July 18, 2010
Okay, this one makes up for the fact that it's by The Oatmeal, who, in his defense, doesn't seem so SEO-scummy these days. (Also, check the page source for an awesome ASCII art "motherfucking" Pterodactyl.) posted by JHarris at 1:54 PM on July 18, 2010
defiled |= defied
Hope he didn't print those posters yet. Old designer's joke:
Q: Who's the most important person on the design team?
so this is where the old saying "you've got more balls than most men I know" comes from... posted by infini at 1:56 PM on July 18, 2010
Good God, I hope that's not where this saying comes from! posted by iamkimiam at 2:00 PM on July 18, 2010
I, for one, am glad to not be a male anglerfish. posted by Tomorrowful at 2:03 PM on July 18, 2010
bonobothegreat: "The How to Choose a Banshee one was good."
I'm glad I wasn't the only one bothered by that. Poor banshee. posted by brundlefly at 2:13 PM on July 18, 2010
I learned this from Hank Green .
Man, that was the first time I loved a vlogbrothers video as much as I hoped I would. Awesome. posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:21 PM on July 18, 2010
Are they edible, anyway?
They are, and they are delicious and expensive. In England they are known as monkfish and appear often in fish restaurants. posted by biffa at 2:50 PM on July 18, 2010
In England they are known as monkfish and appear often in fish restaurants.
I've... eaten monkfish. Excuse me while I try to choke on a meal I had two years ago. posted by shinybaum at 2:54 PM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
IIRC Minkfish is a different kind of ugly as he'll fish. posted by Artw at 3:04 PM on July 18, 2010
Fish are fucking crazy. You know the fundamental plot flaw in Finding Nemo is that clownfish, who live in groups, have a matriarchy that will change depending on the largest fish. The biggest one if male will have a sex change and become the female, the smaller all become male. So Nemo's dad would have become his mum, and Nemo... well he would have remained the same.
The other thing that is fucking insane is that the anenome's they live in have a double symbiotic relationship. They have algae living within them that provide sugars to feed them through photosynthesis. But also the clownfish that host in them will also find food and drop it at the mouth of the anenome.
So, a few gonads growing out of a female monkfish isn't too perverse. Problem with monkfish is that too few of them are line caught. So every time you take a tasty bite you have several football fields worth of sea floor totally destroyed. So, who's more fucked up? The gonad embedded fish or the humans who eat them? posted by Elmore at 3:30 PM on July 18, 2010 [9 favorites]
What freaks me out is the claim that these anglerfish have wombs (false, I presume) posted by honest knave at 3:54 PM on July 18, 2010
Aren't angler fish brilliant? They've got a little torch that hangs from their head so they can see in the dark. Brilliant! Isn't the ocean a brilliant place? posted by turgid dahlia at 4:12 PM on July 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
They've got a little torch that hangs from their head so they can see in the dark.
It's actually there to attract prey. Fish sees light, thinks I don't know what that glowing thing is, but it sure looks delicious!, goes in for a nibble, and CHOMP. Hence the name. posted by Sys Rq at 4:19 PM on July 18, 2010
Aren't names fantastic? Before they came along, nobody knew what anything was. Brilliant! posted by turgid dahlia at 4:24 PM on July 18, 2010
Fish can't see red. Brilliant or dull. posted by Elmore at 4:39 PM on July 18, 2010
Fish can't see red.
Ironic, since they are so easily enraged. posted by Sys Rq at 4:40 PM on July 18, 2010
Ironic, since they are so easily enraged.
Untrue. They are just very sensitive to intonation. You are just unaware of how much anger you are revealing when you shout your fucking head off at them. Why are you shouting at the fish, fucker? posted by Elmore at 4:44 PM on July 18, 2010
SHOULD NOT HAVE CLICKED HAGFISH VIDEO LINK. DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING. WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:00 PM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Baited. Totally. posted by Elmore at 5:04 PM on July 18, 2010
i see this style of writing a lot on the internet... i vote we call it "steam of nomsciousness" from now on posted by nathancaswell at 5:49 PM on July 18, 2010
My wife puts monkfish in her paella. It tastes fantastic. I have no regrets. posted by deliquescent at 8:09 PM on July 18, 2010
Dear God, sorry to disturb you but
I feel that I should be loud and clear:
WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK YOU DISEASED FUCK
shinybaum: "I do not ever want to eat an angler fish. Please do not over-inform me on the sex habits of cod, tuna or whatever was in my sushi last week."
This episode was on SBS TV a few days ago. Apparently they are an ideal fish for certain types of stew. The liver removal scene is truly horrific, but the most awesome part of Iron Chef anglerfish battle is the dish that involves baked anglerfish spine arranged with baked anglerfish head. Itadakimasu!
NO NO YOU ARE WRONG IT IS GHASTLY. People laugh at me when I say I fear the horrors of the deep. Perhaps it is time for me to leap out of a cupboard dressed as an anglerfish. posted by elizardbits at 5:41 AM on July 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
Perhaps it is time for me to leap out of a cupboard dressed as an anglerfish.
watch out for the balls... posted by infini at 6:01 AM on July 19, 2010
We have a little angler in one of our tanks that has learned that when the top opens, food comes in. So I now get greeted with an excited wiggling little puppy dog of a fish ever time I go near the tank.
This revelatory information will make that experience much more... disturbing going forward. posted by quin at 8:17 AM on July 19, 2010
posted by nathancaswell at 1:21 PM on July 18, 2010 [4 favorites]