>
- A black creature was found dead on a beach in California this month
- It has very sharp teeth and a dangling light bulb attached to the top of its head
- Read more: Rare Pacific football fish found dead on San Diego beach
A nightmare fish that normally lives 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface has been found dead on a California beach.
The jet-black football fish with sharp teeth was discovered by beachgoers who visited Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach on October 13.
Park officials determined the fish was female because of the long stalk on its head, a trait possessed only by the female, which has bioluminescent appendages to attract prey in deep, dark water.
They also noted that it is rare to see a true, intact gamefish above the surface, as predators usually eat the fish before it reaches the surface.
Beachgoers who visited Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach this month found a black creature lying on the sand.
Park officials did not share many details about the creature, but they indicated that females reach a length of 24 inches.
The Pacific footballfish is one of more than 200 species of anglerfish, a family of bony fish.
They have a lifeless look through completely black eyes attached to the sides of their flat heads.
What makes the anglerfish unique is its bioluminescent overhang that protrudes from its face to catch prey.
The tip glows through bioluminescence, produced by symbiotic bacteria, which acts like a fishing pole to lure prey close enough to the fish’s mouth, which is filled with sharp teeth – but the tentacles are only visible in females.
The creature is capable of absorbing prey as large as its body.
The creature is a football fish that lives 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface. It is rare to see a true, intact gamefish above the surface, as predators usually eat the fish before it reaches the surface.
Park officials determined the fish was female because of the long stalk on its head, a trait possessed only by the female, which has bioluminescent appendages to attract prey in deep, dark water.
“The sighting of this strange and wonderful fish is a testament to the strange diversity of marine life lurking beneath the surface of California’s marine protected areas (MPAs), and as scientists continue to learn more about these deep-sea creatures, it is important to consider just how diverse they are.” “We still have to learn from our wonderful and mysterious surroundings,” Crystal Cove State Park officials shared in a Share Facebook.
The post stated that it had been two years since a Pacific football fish was found on the beach.
On May 22, 2021, beachgoer and fisherman Ben Estes found another 18-inch-long creature.
This specimen was found frozen in the sand when officials came to collect it.
The post stated that it had been two years since a Pacific football fish was found on the beach. On May 22, 2021, beachgoer and fisherman Ben Estes found another 18-inch-long creature.
In 2018, scientists revealed footage of live anglerfish mating for the first time, according to a report in the journal Science.
Before this, anglerfish mating pairs were only observed in dead specimens caught in nets.
The bizarre footage shows the female’s glowing strings stretching around her body while the young male clings to her.
The footage was captured at a depth of 2,600 feet off the Portuguese island of São Jorge by husband and wife deep-sea explorers Kirsten and Joachim Jacobsen using a remotely operated vehicle.
The permanent attachment of males to females represents what scientists call a form of “anatomical joining” unknown in humans except in rare genetically identical twins.
(Tags for translation)dailymail