The Wicked Smoocha: Anglerfish Break A World Record

In the depths of the ocean, a tiny male anglerfish catches a scent and follows it through the darkness. Eventually he finds a glowing, toothy female with a bacterial lightbulb on her head. He kisses her… and never lets go. Their bodies permanently fuse, merging bloodstreams, flesh, and digestive tracts.

Radiolab correspondent Molly Webster brings us the wild story of this eternal kiss. We dive deeper into glowing lures, bioluminescent bacteria, and the biology of two creatures becoming one.

Plus, Alan tells us about the time he broke a world record, and marine biologist Dr. Kory Evans answers our questions about some of the weirdest fish in the sea. 

Big thanks to Molly Webster for bringing us this story. Check out all of her Radiolab stories, but if you want one to start off with, listen to Goo and You about butterflies!

If you have something special you think you can hold a world record in, draw us a picture and email us at terrestrials@wnyc.org.

Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC studios. This episode was reported by Molly Webster  and produced by Alan Goffinski with sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick. Sarah Sandbach is our Executive Producer. Our team also includes Ana González, Tanya Chawla, Natalia Ramirez, and Joe Plourde. Fact checking by Emily Krieger. 

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