Rare deep-sea fish stranded in Pacific Ocean - video

In the US town of Newport Beach, California, the ocean has cast ashore a representative of the Himantolophus sagamius species. This is a rare predatory deep-sea fish from the familyHimantolophidae. This species belongs to the order Bullfrogs and is characterised by its large mouth and a lure located on its head.

An unusual sight greeted people strolling along one of California’s beaches. Lying lifeless on the sand was a rare deep-sea fish classified as anglerfish. Although most of us have probably never known a similar creature, because of the characteristic lure placed on its head, every diver knows exactly what it looks like.

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A visitor from the ocean depths

Found on the sand, Himantolophus sagamius presented a full suit of pointed, sharp teeth. One might have been frightened because this rare fish with oceanic depths looks almost like a visitor from an alien planet or a monster from a horror film. Either way, it evokes feelings that make you think that an encounter with a live specimen might not be very pleasant.

Most anglerfish do not exceed 30 cm body length. However, the specimen found on a Californian beach is a real giant. The dead specimen measured over 45 cm. It is one of about 300 species of frogfish classified so far all over the world.

I knew it was an unusual find. I had never seen a fish that looked like this before. – said Ben Estes, a beachcomber who found the rare fish

The man found the dead fish in the Crystal Cove State Park and then notified the rangers. It is worth mentioning that living in the deep the frogfish, although dead, was found in excellent condition. The carcass of the animal was taken away by the notified representatives of the park, and then placed in a cooler.

The specimen will go to the museum

The found specimen of the rare fish has found its way to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Museum staff have said that they hope to include it in the collection once it has been properly prepared. Although the facility has three similar specimens of anglerfish, only one is from California and none is in such good condition.

Interestingly, despite being very rare, anglerfish are among the best-known deep-sea creatures. They usually live at depths of up to 600-1000 metres. Their food consists of other fish, squid and crustaceans. The first representative of this family was found and described in 1833.