The image of an extremely rare fish dubbed the “deep sea monster” has gone viral after a tourist discovered the creature washed up on US shores.
According to Wionews, on November 13, Jay Beiler was walking on Black’s Beach in Torrey Pines, San Diego, “USA” when he discovered the “extremely rare” species. At first he thought it was a jellyfish, but upon closer inspection, he realized he had never seen this fish before.
The strange creatures caught Beiler’s interest and he took pictures to share with others. These photos have reached scientists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, who have revealed this is a Pacific football fish.
In an interview with local media, Beiler said that this fish is very large with a length of about 30cm.
“I have never seen anything like it before. At first, I thought it was a jellyfish or something, then I looked at it a little more closely and I realized it was a fish,” Beiler told NBC 7 San Diego.
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Scientifically known as Himantolophidae, football fish live in water about 1000m deep. This organism is mainly found in the tropical and subtropical seas of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. This fish was first discovered by zoology professor Johan Reinhardt in 1837.