We are never told if it's trying to attract prey or to talk, or anything else.
But these should be regularly pulled and loosened in the water in order to attract prey.
As with all members of the Lophiiformes, these fish use lures to attract prey.
Mating calls aren't the only way to attract prey, however.
This particular site, a desert now, was a grassy plain by a lake 2.5 million years ago and must have attracted prey.
I was talking to the people back at camp about this business of predators attracting prey.
Several species of deep-sea fish have luminous organs used to attract prey.
It is thought to attract prey by means of blue fluorescence.
One more recent theory is that web decorations attract prey by reflecting ultraviolet light.
The light is used for predator avoidance, to attract prey, and for communication.