Anglerfish

Order: Lophiformes                               Depths of the sea

Like their shallow-water cousins that entice passersby into their gullets with lurelike appendages, the deep-sea anglerfish also plays a deadly game of bait and switch, although with a bright twist: The faux bait dangling before their mouths is often luminous. When the curious swim in close to investigate, the deep-sea anglers lunge forward, trapping their prey with sharp, pointed teeth. In the dark, of course, it's possible to bite off more than you can chew. But these predators have every angle covered: An elastic stomach permits the anglerfish to swallow prey even larger than themselves.