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20th October 2023
06:04pm BST
A mysterious dark fish with what appears to be hundreds of sharp teeth has washed up on a beach in California and it surely is the end of days.
While fish often wash up on beaches, this fish makes for a terribly unusual sight as normally fish like this aren't found anywhere near the surface of the ocean.
Not only are they not found at the ocean's surface, they're actually found in the deepest darkest depths of the ocean.
In case you didn't know this is an Algerfish which is known (and named) for its distinctive style of hunting smaller prey.
Anglerfish have a lure which dangles above their own heads (isn't evolution a fascinating thing) and this lure has bacteria living in it which emits a light.
Hundreds of feet below the waves, this light can be amazingly mistaken as prey by other small fish, who fall straight into the Anglerfish's trap.
The particular fish that washed up on the beach in California was a Pacific Football Fish, part of the Anglerfish family, and lives at depths of up to 900 meters below the surface where little, if any, light prevails.
In a Facebook post, a spokesperson for the Crystal Cove State Park said: "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!"
Fascinating.
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