Nature’s Oddities Part 8: The Anglerfish

The Anglerfish, of order Lophiiformes, deserves special mention as the most fearsome and ugly creature on the planet. If anybody is able to find a more ugly or horrifyingly evil looking creature, please comment with links (this is not at request for a picture of your mother-in-law).



The anglerfish is truly an odd creature. It lives at extreme depths, where over 2,000 PSI of pressure would prevent most aquatic creatures from surviving. There is hardly any light at these depths, so there is no photosynthesis, and scarcely any large autotrophs to provide nutrition for large animals, so animals are almost always carnivores at these depths. An exception to this rule would be the deep-sea tubeworms covered in one of my earlier posts.

The carnivores that live at these depths compete fiercely for the available food because it is so scarce, and they demonstrate some of the most extreme adaptations towards a carnivorous lifestyle. Those fearsome teeth are not for decoration. They are very special pointed teeth that are inclined inwards—to prevent whatever enters from leaving. The enormous jaws of the anglerfish extend around the anterior circumference of its head, and its thin and flexible bones allow it to swallow very large prey. In fact, the Monkfish, another lophiiforme and close relative of the Anglerfish can swallow prey larger than itself, obviously not demonstrating monk-like temperance towards food.



A truly outstanding predatory feature of the anglerfish is its bioluminescent “lure” that it dangles in front of its mouth to attract prey. There is virtually no light at the depths anglerfish live, so their bodies are almost invisible to other fish. The lure, like the tubeworm, uses symbiotic bacteria to function. The chemical reaction involved is quite unique in nature, relying upon an enzyme called luciferase and a photoprotein. The luciferase catalyzes a reaction between the photoprotein and calcium ions. It is unclear how the actual mechanism works, but photons are emitted. This is completely unlike florescence or phosphorescence, where certain materials absorb photons and undergo energetic transitions and occasionally release photons. Bioluminesance requires no incident light.

The most interesting feature of the Anglerfish is the extreme sexual dimorphism demonstrated by the species. When scientists first started catching Anglerfish, they noticed every specimen was female. They wondered, “Where are the males?” It took them a while before they discovered small parasitic organisms living on the female’s body. It turns out these are the boys.

Male anglerfish hatchlings (called fry) have no digestive system, and are unable to feed. Fortunately they are equipped with extraordinarily sensitive olfactory organs (like the male lamprey) that detect female anglerfish pheromones (also like the lamprey). When a male locates a female, he bites into her side and fuses with one of her blood vessels to receive nourishment. This merging of two different adult organisms' body tissues is extremely unusual and largely unexplained.

The male then undergoes gradual atrophy until his body is noting more than a pair of gonads that release sperm in response to hormones in the female’s body indicating egg release. I would like to send a pet Anglerfish (complete with high-pressure aquarium) to every radical feminist in the world. Perhaps reflection upon the plight of the male anglerfish would provide them with enough satisfaction that they would be able to cease their antagonization of men. Also, the not-very-ladylike behavior and appearance of the Anglerfish female will surely provide them a model to strive for.

Jest aside; this is truly remarkable sexual dimorphism. Surely everybody has noticed that roosters look and act a bit differently than chickens, that bulls are different than cows. The Anglerfish takes this to an extreme. Various explanations have been lodged to explain this. One is that Anglerfish, living lonely lives in the depths of the ocean, rarely encounter each other. The infrequency of their encounters makes sexual reproduction costly. Atrophied parasitic males attached to the females solve this “meeting” problem handily. Also, females are not always fertile, making timing the encounter important. Most animals solve this with a breeding season, but there are no seasons in the depths—it’s cold and dark all year. The Anglerfish solves this problem because the male is always available for sex. Actually, he basically is a sex organ. This dimorphism also greatly conserves food. Since food is so scarce down there, why waste much of it on males that cannot generate offspring? It makes a lot more sense to have the female consume almost all the food.

Upon reflecting on the creatures I have described in my canon of oddities, I think I should have titled the series Nature’s Eccentricities. Odd carries a bad connotation, and every creature I have listed is certainly highly successful in its little niche.

The Ultimate Trad-Mobile

As I was making my journey into traditional Catholicism, I noticed an abundance of patterns. One of the most noticeable to me is the preponderance of large vehicles parked outside the churches on Sunday. They are sometimes GMC/Chevrolet Suburbans, but more often Ford E-series vans or Chevrolet Express vans. Actually the Ford E-series, in “fleet white,” seems to dominate, at least in the parishes where I live.



There are so many that you can almost recognize a traditional parish better by the vans than by any exterior church feature (except maybe the sign if there is one).

In case you haven’t already figured out the reason why there are so many vans, it is because traditional Catholics are significantly more likely to procreate and less likely to use contraceptive measures or birth control. Families of 8-12 are not unusual. It seems that eight is the critical number. Minivans and Suburban have a capacity of seven. Making the transition to the full-length van is a quasi rite-of-passage for some fathers.

The “great white van” has become almost a comical diversion for me. I count the number of them to assess the relative orthodoxy of a parish. While this is surely an inaccurate measure, it is probably better than any other superficial measure. Mission statements, sermons, and the physical appearance of the parishioners can all be wildly misleading. Having a dozen children, on the other hand, is a pretty good indicator that you are at least serious about the faith.

Well, my discussions of the “great white vans” have become experience in the last year. Two of the traditional families I interact with have them. One family has a 12 passenger Ford E-350, and the other has a 12 Passenger E-350 and a Standard Wheelbase E-350 Cargo Van. All three of these vehicles have in excess of 200,000 miles on them. It is not unheard of a great white going well over a quarter-million miles. I am familiar with their abilities, like hauling 10 kids and 500 pounds of firewood, and I am familiar with their annoyances, like behind-the-rear-axel syndrome (BRA)—a strange type of motion sickness that is exacerbated by praying the Rosary.

What the great whites lack in handling, acceleration, elegance, ride-comfort, fuel economy, and comfort they make up in sheer brutish force and stamina. They are like barns on wheels. Sturdy, voluminous, and they can last generations, but they don’t regulate temperature well and are rough and crude.

I have often fantasized that someday I may be blessed with enough children to warrant a great white. In Anthony’s list of life accomplishments, this ranks just above a pilgrimage and just below seeing my children succeed. In any case, I have considered what makes the ultimate great white-trad mobile. The features, performance, and cost—all have been carefully researched and considered. Every conceivable trad-project (like transporting a wood burning stove 500 miles) has been considered.

The ultimate trad-bus is the Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter. Yes it is odd, and yes is it rather pricey, but we are talking about the ULTIMATE here!



The standard wheelbase model seats ten in individual bucket seats (not benches). The extended wheelbase model seats fourteen. Its high roofline allows for easy en-route diaper changes. It’s punchy turbo deisel engine delivers outstanding fuel efficiency. It has a 2-ton payload and a 2.5 ton towing capacity. It has more bed space with the seats removed than a typical pickup. It is considerably safer than its competition. Its turning radius is tighter than many cars, allowing for excellent church-parking lot escape abilities. About it’s only drawback is no available all wheel drive system in the United States. It is particularly annoying to me that Europeans can get 5-speed manual all wheel drive Sprinters and we cannot. Oh well.

(Images are non-copyright and courtesy of Wikipedia.org)

Nature’s Oddities Part 7: Cordyceps

Respect this fungus! Be thankful that God provided us with a highly robust immune system capable of fighting it. If we were arthropods, we would not be so fortunate.

Here is the fearsome, ingenious, and successful Cordyceps.

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Cordyceps is a genus within the family Ascomycota. Commonly known as ball-sac fungi, they produce their spores in a distinctive sporangium called an ascus (“wineskin” in Greek) that the Cordyceps exploits in the fullest for its diabolical deeds. Other ascomycota, some of the most successful organisms on the planet, include the more friendly (and delicious) yeasts, morels, truffles and Penicillium (used to make cheeses and the antibiotic Penicillin). In fact, I had the distinct privilege to have found an ascomycete last weekend, mistaking it for a Gall Wasp’s abode.

So, how did Cordyceps, the relative of such common relatives make it into Anthony’s cannon of odd creatures? Well, there are a few reasons. For one, Cordyceps is highly infections—more virulent than many other bacteria and viruses. It is so effective that it can wipe out entire colonies of insects. Another reason is its extremely odd and clever behavior.

The genus Cordyceps has hundreds of species and each one parasitizes a particular animal species. This, in itself, is not too impressive. What makes it impressive is how it exploits its victims and its own physiology so ideally. Take the Cordyceps that infects bullet ants (P. clavata), featured in this movie by Sir David Attenborough.



The Cordyceps lands on the ant’s body, and enters throng the ant’s tracheae (breating holes). The innate immune capabilities of the ant are mostly directed towards prokaryotic organisms, like bacteria. They are ill equipped to combat eukaryotic organisms , like Cordyceps. Then the Cordyceps extends its mycelium (the fungal analog to roots) into the ant’s body tissues, absorbing nutrients to fuel its enormous fruiting body. Eventually the ant’s body succumbs to this invasion, but not before the Cordyceps altars its mind in a most beneficial manner. This is why the Cordyceps gets the prize.

Most fungi and plants have quite a bit of trouble distributing their offspring and achieving genetic diversity, since they cannot move. Angiosperms (flowering plants) are experts at manipulating animals, like bees, to spread their pollen around in order to achieve genetic diversity, and they are also experts at tricking animals like birds into distributing their seeds. They hijack animal’s mobility quite ably, but at considerable cost. They must expend enormous amounts of energy and nutrients making pretty flowers, delicious nectar, and nutrient-packed seeds to coax the animals into their plan. The Cordyceps is far more ruthless.

The Cordyceps, after infecting its host’s body, causes behavior changes that direct it to climb upwards. In the jungles, where Cordyceps are most common, this is very important, since the foliage is so dense and choking. Once the ant has climbed to considerable heights, it succumbs to the Cordyceps and dies, securely clamping onto a branch with its mandibles (a behavior ants don’t normally engage in). The Cordyceps then goes on to use every bit of the ant’s body tissues to build an enormous fruiting body that extends from the back of the ants head. In this fruiting body are thousands of spores packed with the characteristic ascus. The Cordyceps ascus is modified in a way to allow it to eject its spores as far away from the fruiting body as possible, so when the fruiting body erupts, at a place high in the trees, the spores are spread far and wide, covering vast distances.

Ants, always clever, have mounted an effective response to the Cordyceps. Ants are very attenuated to each others' behavior, and when one sister sees her sister acting in a way consistent with Cordyceps infection, she takes her sister off, far away from the colony, often at the cost of her own life. “For the greater good” is SOP for ants. Some species, like the infamous fire ant, s. invicta, bury their sisters alive.