▁living ▁in ▁open ▁water , ▁with ▁very ▁few ▁caught ▁below ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁m ▁( 3 , 2 8 0   ft ). ▁Fem ales ▁are ▁car n iv orous ▁and ▁feed ▁upon ▁other ▁pel ag ic ▁fish ▁( such ▁as ▁lan tern fish es ▁and ▁r idge head s ) ▁and ▁ce phal op ods , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁sh rim p ▁and ▁eu ph aus i ids ▁that ▁are ▁pres umably ▁attract ed ▁to ▁within ▁striking ▁distance ▁by ▁the ▁football fish ' s ▁l umin ous ▁l ure . ▁ ▁Upon ▁m atur ity , ▁the ▁tiny ▁males ▁of ▁most ▁species ▁met am orph ose ▁into ▁a ▁par as it ic ▁form , ▁which ▁la cks ▁both ▁a ▁l ure ▁and ▁true ▁teeth ▁and ▁is ▁pres umed ▁not ▁to ▁feed . ▁The ▁par as it ic ▁males ▁use ▁their ▁en larg ed ▁ol factory ▁bul bs ▁( as ▁indicated ▁by ▁their ▁en larg ed ▁nost r ils ) ▁and ▁sensitive ▁eyes ▁to ▁home ▁in ▁on ▁the ▁ph er om ones ▁and ▁possibly ▁the ▁species - specific ▁l ures ▁of ▁females . ▁The ▁met am orph osed ▁males ▁attach ▁themselves ▁to ▁the ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁female ▁using ▁their ▁d entic ular ▁hook s ; ▁the ▁male ' s ▁t issues ▁then ▁begin ▁to ▁co ales ce ▁with ▁the ▁female ' s , ▁and ▁the ▁former ' s ▁g on ads ▁begin ▁to ▁develop ▁while ▁all ▁other ▁org ans ▁deg ener ate . ▁The ▁male ▁thus ▁becomes ▁in separ able