This strange, seven foot fish washed up on a beach on Oregon last week, attracting attention from confused locals, but turned out to be a newly discovered species and could be the biggest one ever seen.
A giant, alien-looking fish that washed up on the shores of a beach in Oregon last this week turned out to be a new species – and could be the largest of its kind ever seen.
The remarkable creature, around seven feet long, was found on a beach in Gearhart, Oregon on June 3 baffling locals who couldn’t work out what it was. In a press release from the Seaside Aquarium, they explained that the oddity lay on the beach for five days, untouched by scavengers who seemed to have a hard time piercing through its tough, leathery flesh. Initially a mystery, pictures of the creature eventually caused a stir on social media and caught the attention of a marine biologist.
New Zealand Marine scientist, Marianne Nyegaard, who has expertise in a species of sea creature known as the sunfish, identified the large, grey and rounded creature as a hoodwinker sunfish. This species was only first described by Nyegaard in 2017, making it a fairly new addition to marine biology.
The aquarium explained that in research released at the time, Nyegaard showed through genetic sampling and observation that the hoodwinker sunfish, Mola tecta, is a different species to its more common cousin, the ocean sunfish, or Mola mola. In Latin, ‘tecta’ means hidden or disguised, referring to a new species that had been “hiding in plain sight,” the aquarium said.
However the discovery of this type of sunfish on the shores of Oregon was particularly intriguing as it was originally believed that the hoodwinker was only native to the Southern Hemisphere – with sightings reported around Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Finding this specimen – which is also believed to be the largest of its kind seen yet -raised questions about its migration patterns and ecological adaptations.
Recent years have seen an increase in sightings of the hoodwinker sunfish in North American waters. Notably, specimens have been reported off the coasts of California and Alaska. These occurrences hint at a possible shift in oceanic currents or changes in the sunfish’s migratory behaviour, leading them further north than usual.
Either way, the discovery of the hoodwinker sunfish on Gearhart Beach offers a unique opportunity for scientists to discover more about the species, as well as fascinating locals and causing a stir in the nearby area. Still remaining intact on the beach last Friday (June 7), the aquarium invited people to come down to the beach and have a look at it while they still can.
They said: “[The fish] will probably remain for a few more days, maybe weeks as their tough skin makes it hard for scavengers to puncture. It is a remarkable fish and the aquarium encourages people to go see it for themselves.”
The hoodwinker sunfish can reach nearly eight feet in length, making it smaller than other sunfish species, which can exceed ten feet, according to Britannica. Its unique features, including a bullet-like shape, tough skin, and a small mouth with beaklike teeth make it stand out against other species.
