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Many consider the anglerfish one of the ugliest and scariest creatures on the planet—with its long, ghastly dagger-like teeth and beady eyes. But this carnivorous deepwater fish, named after how it hunts its prey, is a marvelous illustration of God’s creativity.

Anglerfish live along the coasts of Europe and North America, with most species living near the ocean floor. These creatures live where there is approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure!

Perhaps the most amazing feature of the anglerfish is the way it lures prey. The fish uses a bioluminescent-light-producing organ that protrudes from its forehead like a fishing pole (hence the name “angler” fish). This appendage, called an esca, functions as a kind of bait used to attract other fish. The exact shape and size of the esca varies depending on the species. The light, which can be turned on and off as needed and produces no heat, lures unsuspecting prey that see the light and think a food source is nearby. (Interestingly, anglerfish can actually discern when light is being made by another anglerfish and are not attracted to it.) This light is produced by luminescent bacteria contained in the tip of the esca.

Once prey has been enticed by the light, an anglerfish has no trouble swallowing the fish with its massive mouth. In fact, it is even able to swallow prey as large as itself because its head and mouth are bigger than the rest of its body!

The male and female genders of the anglerfish have distinct differences. The female hunts other fish using its esca, whereas the male does not have a lure and is significantly smaller than the female (sometimes less than one tenth the size of the female). Males cannot hunt and actually do not even eat. Instead, when a male anglerfish locates a female, it bites through the female’s skin, latches onto it, and the blood supplies of the two fish mingle. The male then receives nourishment from the fish the female consumes. Females can actually carry six or more male anglerfish on her body with all of them surviving in this way!

Despite its surprising appearance, the anglerfish demonstrates how God created every animal in a unique and precise way. Without any of the characteristics discussed in this article, the anglerfish simply could not survive. God gave it a special tool that no other fish possesses to hunt food. He also programmed it with the instinct for the male and female genders to mutually depend on each other. As with every aspect of Creation, God created the anglerfish perfectly.