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Pictures of a deep sea fish that washed up on a US beach were shared on social media. The ghoulish-looking fish with a long antenna-like attachment on its head looks like a creature straight out of a horror movie. It is an anglerfish which is “very rare” to spot.
Crystal Cove State Park took to Facebook to share about the creature. “Guess who washed up just in time for Friday the 13th? It’s angler fish at Crystal Cove State Park!” the park wrote.
About anglerfish:
In the caption, the park explained more about the species. “There are more than 200 species of anglerfish worldwide, and this particular fish is most likely the Pacific Football Fish. Only females possess a long stalk on the head with bioluminescent tips used as a lure to entice prey in pitch-black water as deep as 3,000 feet!”
“Their teeth, like pointed shards of glass, are transparent, and their large mouth is capable of sucking up and swallowing prey the size of their own body. While females can reach lengths of 24 inches, males only grow to be about an inch long and their sole purpose is to find a female and help her reproduce,” the park added.
“To see an actual angler fish intact is very rare, and it is unknown how or why these fish ended up onshore. Seeing this strange and fascinating fish is a testament to the curious diversity of marine life lurking below the water’s surface in California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and as scientists continue to learn more about these deep sea creatures it’s important to reflect on how much is still to be learned from our wonderful and mysterious ocean!” the park wrote and concluded their post.
Take a look at these images of the fish:
The post was shared a few days ago, and since then, has accumulated tons of comments. “Such weirdness in the ocean, this is why I don’t swim at the beach,” posted a Facebook user. “The entire post is freaky and amazing,” added another.
“It’s a spooky-looking fish for sure! But it is amazing also!” expressed a third. “This will give me nightmares,” wrote a fourth.
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