Puzzling creature washed ashore thought to be rare oarfish

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A strange looking creature found along the Florida coastline by a couple out on a stroll is thought to be an oarfish. As the longest of the “bony” fishes, the oarfish can average lengths up to 26 ft. in length.

“It just rolled up on the beach in front of us,” Carolyn Hoffman told the Palm Beach Post about the discovery on Delray Beach. “I’ve never seen anything shaped like that.”

Palm Beach Atlantic University biology professor Ray Waldner made the speculation about the identity of the alien looking creature. Others have reported recovering oarfish that are as much as 56 ft. long.

Usually found in the deeper ocean waters feeding off of plankton, jelly fish and squid. They are rarely seen in the wild except when they are dying and swimming near the ocean’s surface. The oarfish have been historically labeled as “sea serpents.”

Check out the rare video below of a live oarfish.

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  • http://twitter.com/MLukaczyn mlukaczyn

    oarfish hitting the shores on Friday the 13th…not to be superstitious…but I wonder what natural disaster is going to occur ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ray-Simpson/42701671 Ray Simpson

    the washed up specimen looks like a Ribbonfish or Dealfish (Trachipterus arcticus), especially since it seem to have some spot on the body.  Too short and stubby to be a oarfish

  • Anonymous

    The guy in the photograph looks like Bob Fenner!

  • Todd Gardner

    I agree, not an oarfish. Too stout.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QSDPQ6KDZJ64Q25D2NVBTL2YTM wood

    Its interesting that someone posted this picture on the species’(Trachipterus arcticus) fishbase page.