A monstrous looking fish that is normally found thousands of feet deep in the ocean washed up on a California beach
A monstrous looking fish washed up on the shore of a California beach
An unusual fish with glass-sharp teeth and a body shaped like a soccer washed up on a Californian beach.
The baital black creature with its mouth wide open lay in the sand of the Crystal Cove State Parks marine protected area in Laguna Beach last Friday.
“Seeing a real intact anglerfish, is very rare, and it is unknown, how or why the fish ended up on shore” reads a Facebook post.
This Pacific anglerfish is normally found in the depths of the ocean.
The creature’s teeth are sharp and pointed like shards of glass and its “large mouth is capable of sucking and swallowing prey the size of its own body.”
Because of the creature’s size and the stalk protruding from the top of its head, California State Parks said it is a female.
“Only females possess a long stalk on the head with bioluminescent tips that are used as a lure to attract prey in the darkness of waters up to 3,000 feet deep” the Crystal Cove State Park post said.
They added that females can grow to a length of 24 inches, while males are only one inch long.
“The sole purpose of the male fish is to help the females reproduce.” Says the post.
The fish carcass is in the hands of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is expected to be studied for educational and research purposes.
