Extraño pez abisal aparece en la costa de Tenerife

What does “diablo negro” mean in Spanish?

El diablo negro — literally “the black devil” — is the Spanish name for a small, needle-toothed deep-sea anglerfish that normally lives 200 to 2,000 meters down, luring prey with a glowing lure on its head. In January 2026 marine biologists found one alive near the surface off Tenerife — a global first, since the species is almost never seen outside its lightless deep-sea habitat.

Its name is descriptive rather than fanciful: diablo (devil) for its fanged, monstrous look, negro (black) for its skin, which absorbs almost all light in the deep sea. The same fish — Melanocetus johnsonii — inspired the anglerfish that corners Marlin and Dory in Buscando a Nemo, so its glowing lure and grin will look familiar even if you’ve never heard the name before.