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Till Death Do Us Part (Literally)
Male anglerfish permanently fuse to females, their bodies merging until the male is nothing but a pair of testes attached to the female's body.
Anglerfish
Lophiiformes
Deep-sea anglerfish have evolved one of the most extreme forms of sexual dimorphism and mating in the animal kingdom.
Vital Stats
🏷️ TypeDeep-sea fish (bony fish)
🌍 Found InDeep ocean worldwide — 200-2,000m depth
📏 SizeFemales: 20-100cm | Males: 1-3cm
⏳ LifespanUnknown (deep-sea observation difficult)
💕 Mating SystemSexual parasitism — male fuses permanently to female
👶 OffspringFemales release eggs in gelatinous mass; up to 1 million eggs
🍆 Penis Size5.0 mm
⏱️ Sex Duration365 days
🔬 Notable AnatomyMale bites female and fuses to her body; his organs dissolve, becoming a permanent sperm source
⚖️ Sexual DimorphismMost extreme in animal kingdom — females up to 60x larger