Angler Fish

Angler fish are lumpy, ungainly swimmers that let their food come to them. In shallow waters the lure, a long stalk that is really the first spine of the dorsal fin, looks like a wriggling worm. Deep-sea anglers make theirs glow. A few species skip the stalk entirely and grow a luminous knob on the roof of the mouth instead.

In a fantasy sea, these lures can mimic whatever tempts adventurers most: a glittering heap of sunken treasure, say, or a lovely mermaid, waiting in a 'cave' whose 'stalactites' and 'stalagmites' are actually teeth. Most anglers would fit in a fist, but one surface species grows big enough to gulp down ducks and geese.

The angler's whole strategy is to coax a victim near, sink its teeth in for 2d8, and then hold on while it digests, inflicting 1d8 every round. Some fantasy anglers carry one or more working hooks on the lure, grappling for 1d4 and reeling the target toward the jaws.

The fish's teeth slant backward, so once it bites it physically cannot release, however much trident-wielding rescuers make it wish otherwise. Its poor Armor Class makes it easy to stab, but every thrust that goes into the fish can do as much harm to the swallowed victim as to the angler.

In most species only females hunt. The tiny male latches onto the female like a lamprey and lives as her parasite. Odd as it seems, this makes sense in dark depths where anglers are scarce: each female always has a mate on hand for breeding season. Nobody knows what becomes of the young.

The angler is a typical deep-water predator. It can be eaten, but humans find the meat unremarkable at best.