Creature Feature: Monkfish

This week's creature feature... the monkfish!

The monkfish (or "Sea Devil") is a very economically important fish belonging to the goosefish family. The monkfish are commercially fished from Maine to North Carolina and can be caught in trawl nets as deep as 3,000 feet! Thankfully, they are not an endangered species.

From February to October, female monkfish release large egg "veils" that can contain up to 1 million eggs. These veils float near the surface for 1 to 3 weeks before they disintegrate and hatch at depth. Once fully grown, monkfish actually utilize a lure atop their heads to tempt and ambush prey - they are actually close relatives of the anglerfish!

Bonus Fact: Monkfish are also known as "allmouth" due to their oversized chompers!