A stunning fish recently washed ashore in the Pacific Northwest, and experts say it belongs to a newly discovered species.
In a June 6 Facebook post, the Seaside Aquarium in Seaside, Oregon, announced that the unusual aquatic creature was found at a beach in Gearhart on June 3. Experts say that the fish – a hoodwinker sunfish – measured 7.3 feet long.
The hoodwinker sunfish has only been identified as a unique species in the past 10 years. Its sighting is so unusual that Seaside Aquarium said locals flocked to see the fish themselves.
“Initially, this large, strange looking fish was creating quite a stir on social media and, though it was stormy, folks were flocking to the beach to see this unusual fish,” the aquarium wrote. “It wasn’t long before news of this fish reached Marianne Nyegaard, a researcher based in New Zealand.”
“This may be the largest specimen ever sampled,” the post added.
The fish’s body was not collected by the aquarium. As of Thursday, the dead fish was still lying in the same spot on the beach in Gearhart.
“This fish is still on Gearhart Beach and will probably remain for a few more days, maybe weeks as their tough skin makes it hard for scavengers to puncture,” Seaside Aquarium wrote. “It is a remarkable fish and the aquarium encourages people to go see it for themselves.”
