The female anglerfish are bigger while its males are extremely small, 1/40th of the female size. After a certain stage of maturity, the male anglerfish’s digestive system starts shutting down. It needs a female fish to anchor to, else it will die. The male fish has small hooked teeth at the front in its jaws, with which it attaches itself to the female anglerfish. Thereafter, it starts secreting enzymes that assist in breaking down its own oral cavity and the adjacent skin of the female. This merges their tissues at the vascular level and allows it to receive nutrients from the female.
Why do the male anglerfish ‘merge’ into the female one?
