PREVIEW

A rare deep-sea fish has been discovered washed ashore in the USA for what is believed to be the first time ever. Beachcombers in Oregon stumbled upon the anglerfish, also called a Pacific football fish, just south of Cannon Beach. Seaside Aquarium said that “only 31 specimens have been recorded around the world” in places like New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Hawaii, Ecuador, Chile, and California. However, this is thought to be the first reported sighting of a Pacific football fish along the American coast. The fish discovered on the beach was identified as a female due to its size, as females are generally larger than males. Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium retrieved the fish, photographed it, and confirmed it was deceased. She stated: “Like other anglerfish, they use light that shines from a bulb on their forehead to attract prey. Food at the depths can be very sparse, so football fish are not picky eaters. They eat anything that can fit into their mouths.”