Strange creature discovered on California beach baffles scientists!

Laguna Beach, California - A strange-looking aquatic creature washed up on the shore in California in what researchers called a "very rare" discovery.

A very rare fish washed up on the shore in California, thrilling scientists and nature lovers.
A very rare fish washed up on the shore in California, thrilling scientists and nature lovers.  © Facebook/Screenshot/@crystalcovestateparkofficial

Experts at Crystal Cove State Park, a nature reserve in the south of the Los Angeles area, are thrilled with the discovery.

They even describe finding the creature, which washed up on the beach, as "incredible." The animal resembling an alien is a very special fish from the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

Normally, the so-called Pacific Footballfish, which is a species of anglerfish, lives thousands of feet below the surface, making it is more than a little unusual that one has now appeared on land.

The researchers wrote on their Facebook page: "To see an actual angler fish intact is very rare and it is unknown how or why the fish ended up on the shore."

But the football-sized fish doesn't just look scary – it is scary. The animal has very sharp, transparent teeth that look like broken glass.

The Pacific Footballfish can swallow other animals that are about the same body size in one gulp.

But its mating method takes the cake. According to Crystal Cove State Park, reproduction goes something like this:

"Males latch onto the female with their teeth and become 'sexual parasites,' eventually coalescing with the female until nothing is left of their form but their testes for reproduction."

While the female fish can grow up to 24 inches long, their male counterparts only reach a pitiful one inch.

The arm of the fish is reminiscent of many an Alien movie.
The arm of the fish is reminiscent of many an Alien movie.  © Facebook/Screenshot/@crystalcovestateparkofficial

The scientists concluded on a note of amazement: "Seeing this strange and fascinating fish is a testament to the diversity of marine life lurking below the water’s surface."

Cover photo: Facebook/Screenshots/@crystalcovestateparkofficial

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