The monkfish is a fearsome predator who mainly feeds on fish living close to the seabed such as rays or sea eels. Its spine ends in a flexible, extensible cord (esca). This esca is used as a lure to attract other fish, and once within reach the monkfish snaps with its large mouth and then typically swallows its victim whole.
Since its mouth is extremely wide, the monkfish can devour prey that are almost as large as itself. Sharp teeth that slope inward prevent the prey from escaping once captured.
Some consider the monkfish to be one of the ugliest fish in the sea. It has a very broad head which is disproportionately large compared to the rest of the body. Although the front part of the monkfish seems so large it has very small eyes, which lends it an even stranger appearance. Directly behind the head is a barbed dorsal fin, which in turn is behind a feathered dorsal fin, which extends almost to the tail. The skin of the monkfish is very soft. It has no scales, but instead many humps that make the appearance of the fish even less attractive.
Monkfish can reach a length of up to two metres, but the average size of those sold in Germany is about one metre.
The spawning period of the monkfish is between April and June. Females spawn approximately one million eggs, which then drift freely in the sea and are widely distributed due to the sea currents. The larvae initially prefer the high seas as a habitat and only later migrate into shallower waters.
