Behold! Two extinct birds: the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and the Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis). Both were wiped out by humans not long after we encountered them. These specimens are housed at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, where they’re used for research. 🌊🧪🦆🦇

Time in Copenhagen is never lonely when working with #anglerfishes 🧪🐟🌊🦑🦇

Fishy frenzy 🐟🦑🌊🦇

Lil’ photogenic dude 🐠🦑🌊🦇

I cannot believe our research on anglerfishes and their infamous lures is featured in National Geographic! I get so excited when I see these weirdos, and I light up when I can share their weirdness with anyone. 🌊🦑🧪🦇 Check it out here: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

Inside the extremely bizarre sex lives of anglerfish

The fish, who live in pitch-black darkness, likely use their bioluminescent lures to find mates. Males then attach themselves to the females—and never let go.

nationalgeographic.com

And the original article in Ichthyology & Herpetology. Really nice work by @anoplogaster.bsky.social and Matt Davis The Evolution of Lures in Anglerfishes (Acanthuriformes: Lophioidei): Investigating Nature's Tackle Box bioone.org/journals/ich...

Our anglerfish research made it into the New York Times!!! Beyond excited to see the love for these weirdos and their infamous lures! 🧪🐟🌊🦇 “How Female Anglerfish Evolved to Have It All” by Kate Golembiewski @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/s...

How Female Anglerfish Evolved to Have It All

nytimes.com

The bees are a buzz’n

More exciting press for @scsualumni.bsky.social Alex Maile @anoplogaster.bsky.social and @stcloudstate.bsky.social professor Matt Davis’ work on deep-sea fishes! #teamfish

‼️ Our anglerfish research is now featured in @ScienceMagazine! 🐟🎣 "Why do anglerfish have glowing lures? It might be sex" Check it out here! 🧪🌊🐟🦇 www.science.org/content/arti...

Got sent a press release for this awesome paper doi.org/10.1643/i202... by @anoplogaster.bsky.social and became instantly obsessed with the much-too-human face of the attached anglerfish photo (credit: Matthew Davis), so I had to give it a body

This is fantastic.

Danna Staaf@dannastaaf.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Got sent a press release for this awesome paper doi.org/10.1643/i202... by @anoplogaster.bsky.social and became instantly obsessed with the much-too-human face of the attached anglerfish photo (credit: Matthew Davis), so I had to give it a body

Student Spotlight! 🌟 Check out the latest article featuing KU Ichthyology graduate student @anoplogaster.bsky.social's research on the evolution of anglerfishes' lures. His study, in collaboration with Matthew Davis revealed that these lures serve a dual purpose: attracting both food and mates.

Research traces evolution of anglerfishes’ famed fishing-rod lures

Variously horrific- or alien-looking, many female anglerfishes sport long, protruding lures used for enticing prey or signaling during mating. Now, research from the University of Kansas is giving new...

news.ku.edu

‼️NEW ANGLERFISH PAPER! 🐟🎣 So excited to share the final part of my Master’s research! We explore the bizarre tacklebox of anglerfish lures and show how these fishes evolved different ways to attract prey and maybe even mates in the deep sea. 🧪🦑🌊🦇🦀 Open access paper link: doi.org/10.1643/i202...

Finally got around to framing these postcards from a Nagasaki University calendar I was gifted a few years ago. 🌊🐟🦑🦀

Talk about a headache! (especially from your partner fusing to you!) This is a Ghostly Seadevil (Haplophryne mollis) from the University of Washington Burke Museum!

Morning from a Kansas reef 🐟🦀🦑🌊🦇

Kansas snow day with the reef

These MN blizzard conditions make me long for Cretaceous weather.

When your R code runs perfectly on the first try 🧪

a man with his eyes closed is standing in a dark room

ALT: a man with his eyes closed is standing in a dark room

media.tenor.com

Lil puppies with fins

The swimming candy cane 🌊🐟🦑🦇

An urchin a day keeps the bad vibes away

Snack time 🌊🦑🦇

If you hold it like this, it’s a hat! 🦑🌊🦇🧪

When life puts a rock in the way, carry it around like an urchin 🦑🌊🦇🧪

Watching the world go by 🦑🌊🦇🧪

Snack time on the reef 🦑🌊🦇🧪

POV you’re in a crabby mood 🦑 🌊 🧪 🦇

Our mini snail aquarium for this week’s lab on gastropods!