Biblical Creation and the Ceratioid Anglerfish
Anglerfish are denizens of the deep, dark, cold sea. They have, as Tim the Enchanter would say, "Nasty big pointy teeth!" Anglerfish have a bioluminescent lure that dangles in front of them to attract prey. Bioluminescence is when a creature chemically generates its own light; fireflies are actually bioluminescent beetles.
They live so far down, the pressure is immense. Scientists find it difficult to keep them alive for research. One type of Anglerfish, the Ceratioid, is a bit of a difficulty for biblical creation: If everything was created very good, why does this happen?
Cryptopsaras couesii, Wikimedia Commons / Masaki Miya, et al (CC BY 2.0) |
Anglerfish are bony fish belonging to the order Lophiiformes. Most people think of the anglerfish as a ghastly creature that has numerous long, pointy teeth, cold eyes, and a light that is released by the lure that hangs on its head. This light is used to attract unsuspecting prey (the glow itself is produced by bioluminescent bacteria that live in the flesh bulb). While there are many varieties of anglerfish that drastically differ in appearance and environment, they all have a lure of some kind that they use to attract prey.
You can read all of this discussion at "The hermaphroditic anglerfish — Sexual fusion and the Fall."