# Would an Angler fish explode if it was teleported to the surface?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400 "2019-01-25T16:08:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400/1 "2019-01-25T16:08:35Z")

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Angler fish live on the bottom of the ocean and they have recovered specimens and brought them to the surface, looking no more messed up than they did when they were alive. But I assume the hours it took to get the creature to the surface let out the pressure its cells had adapted to.

But if you could take a creature living at the bottom of the Marianas Trench (15,750 lbs per square inch) and immediately transport it to a beach (14 lbs per square inch) would the thing blow up?

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**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400/2 "2019-01-25T16:16:36Z")

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My experience with deep sea fishing would indicate yes.

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**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400/3 "2019-01-25T16:20:37Z")

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According to [this article](https://www.quora.com/Because-angler-fish-live-in-such-high-pressures-underwater-what-would-happen-if-you-tried-to-take-one-to-an-area-of-lower-pressure), no. Anglerfish don’t have a swim bladder or any other gas-filled space in them, so there’s no expansion of gases when pressure is decreased.

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**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400/4 "2019-01-25T16:33:45Z")

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> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> According to [this article](https://www.quora.com/Because-angler-fish-live-in-such-high-pressures-underwater-what-would-happen-if-you-tried-to-take-one-to-an-area-of-lower-pressure), no. Anglerfish don’t have a swim bladder or any other gas-filled space in them, so there’s no expansion of gases when pressure is decreased.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-an-angler-fish-explode-if-it-was-teleported-to-the-surface/828400/5 "2019-01-25T19:00:33Z")

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Water being somewhat compressible, you’ll likely get at least skin breakage.  
[This Squishy Deep-Sea Fish ‘Melts’ at the Ocean Surface](https://www.livescience.com/63539-snailfish-atacama-melt-fish.html)  
At 4.7 miles deep, we’re talking 775 atmospheres pressure, 11600psi.