With less than three dozen dead specimens available to study, very little is known about the fish that lives in depths of roughly 1,000 to 3,000 feet. They have discussed the curious occurrence, 'but it's hard to jump to any conclusions about why this is happening,' he said. The museum has four of the species in its collection, including one found by a beachgoer in Newport Beach in May.Įvery time one washes ashore, Ludt said, he's inundated with calls from friends and colleagues. 'It is very strange, and it's the talk of the town among us California ichthyologists,' or zoologists who study fish, said Bill Ludt, assistant curator of ichthyology at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. One was photographed last month near Black's Beach in La Jolla but disappeared-potentially carried back to sea-before scientists were notified. But in only the last year, three of the creatures have washed up on California beaches, doubling the number of sightings on record in the state. Only 31 collected specimens are known to exist in the world, and the fish has never been observed in the wild, Frable said. What had emerged from the depths was a Pacific footballfish, an exceedingly rare species of anglerfish that inhabits deep waters beyond the sun's reach, said Ben Frable, collection manager of marine vertebrates at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where the fish was sent.įrable is preserving the 5-pound fish for the institution's archive, 'so researchers all over the world can utilize it for the years to come,' he said. Ludt surmised that if there were a massive catastrophe or die-off, more would be found.A surfer found the ghoulish-looking, nearly 13-inch dead fish washed ashore last Friday and alerted lifeguards, who in turn notified scientists, said David Huff, a marine safety sergeant with the city of Encinitas. The two recently collected specimens were remarkably well-preserved and don’t appear to bear marks of trauma from an attack or poisoning from something like an oil spill. “That’s the million-dollar question right now,” Ludt said. Scientists don’t know exactly what it eats, how it reproduces or what might be driving the cluster of sightings. With less than three dozen dead specimens available to study, very little is known about the fish. They have discussed the curious occurrence, “but it’s hard to jump to any conclusions about why this is happening,” he said.

🌊 /0uykGvpy9a- Scripps Institution of Oceanography December 15, 2021Įvery time one washes ashore, Ludt said, he’s inundated with calls from friends and colleagues. “I think it’s a beautiful fish,” he said.Įxperts don’t have any evidence to theorize why several deep-sea fish have washed ashore recently, but are interested in learning more about the specimens that have been collected, as well as any new ones that might wash up. 13, told news outlets, “It’s the stuff of nightmares.” Jay Beiler, who said he chanced upon the one on Black’s Beach on Nov. They also have sharp teeth that angle inward in their mouth, ensuring that what goes in doesn’t come out. “They’re pretty much these spheres … covered in little spines” that help ward off attacks from would-be predators. “They’re so much stockier” than other anglerfish, which come in many shapes and sizes, Frable said. (The males are much smaller than the females.) It’s also one of the biggest species of anglerfish, with large females measuring about 12 to 15 inches. “It is very strange and it’s the talk of the town among us California ichthyologists.” “Each one of those accessory appendages has these bright silver tips that light up as well. “It has all these accessory appendages coming off of it,” Ludt said. The museum has four of the species in its collection, including one found in Newport Beach in May. The Pacific footballfish, one of about 160 to 170 species of anglerfish, is readily identifiable by the elaborate bioluminescent lure protruding from its head - a striking physical adaptation used to attract prey in the pitch-black depths, said Bill Ludt, assistant curator of ichthyology (the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish) at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. One reportedly was photographed last month at Black’s Beach in La Jolla but disappeared - potentially carried back to sea - before scientists were notified. But in only the past year, three of the creatures have washed up on California beaches, doubling the number of sightings on record in the state.

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