Rare sea monster captured on film for first time (Video)

Researchers have captured video of a rare and scary-looking sea creature lurking in the waters of California’s Monterey Bay.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, scientists with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute spotted the black seadevil, as it is called, about 2,000 feet below the surface. The rare sighting of the female fish happened on Nov. 17.

"We've been diving out here in the Monterey Canyon regularly for 25 years, and we've seen three," MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robinson said on Friday.

The NationalGeographic.com noted that the seadevil is an anglerfish and its most distinctive feature is a piece of dorsal spine that protrudes above its mouth. The feature is only found on females which allows them to swallow prey twice their size.

While the fish in the video may look frightening, it poses no threat to humans and is only about 3.5 inches long. Males are much smaller than females and have a shorter life span.

This is believed to the first time that the elusive seadevil have been caught on film.