Anglerfish live at a wide range of depths in the ocean, typically from near the surface down to about 1000 meters (approximately 3300 feet). Juvenile anglerfish are found at depths of 10 to 500 meters, while adults can be observed spawning at depths close to 1000 meters. They generally inhabit areas along the continental slope but rarely go deeper than this
. Some deep-sea anglerfish species, especially those known as abyssal or deep- sea types, can live much deeper, commonly between 300 to 5000 meters (about 1000 to 16,400 feet) below the surface. These species dwell in the "Midnight Zone" of the ocean, where it is perpetually dark and cold
. For example, the abyssal humpback anglerfish is usually found between 200 and 2000 meters depth but has been occasionally spotted near the surface under unusual circumstances
. In summary:
- Coastal and continental slope anglerfish: 0 to 1000 meters depth, with juveniles shallower and adults deeper
- Deep-sea anglerfish species: typically 300 to 5000 meters depth, inhabiting the deep ocean's dark zones
- Some rare sightings show deep-sea species near the surface, but this is exceptional
Thus, anglerfish as a group live from shallow waters near the coast down to several thousand meters deep in the ocean, with most species concentrated below 200 meters and many deep-sea species living in the abyssal depths.
