Female Angler Fish with Parasitic Male

Copied Tim Jerman, Female Angler Fish with Parasitic Male, 1999, flameworked glass, 5 5⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 x 1 5⁄8 in. (14.2 x 11.2 x 4.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund, 2000.26.2

Artwork Details

Title
Female Angler Fish with Parasitic Male
Artist
Date
1999
Location
Dimensions
5 5⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 x 1 5⁄8 in. (14.2 x 11.2 x 4.1 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Renwick Acquisitions Fund
Mediums
Mediums Description
flameworked glass
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — fish — angler fish
Object Number
2000.26.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2000.26.2

Artwork Description

This piece illustrates the bizarre bond between the male and female anglerfish. The male attaches himself to the female to tap into her bloodstream for food. After a while, the male’s eyes and gills seal shut, his heart and respiration stop, and he becomes an appendage, living only to fertilize the female’s eggs. Tim Jerman’s vivid caricature accentuates the contrast between the large, dominant female and tiny, dependant male.

Audio