Bizarre, rarely seen cannibalistic fish with giant eyes and dagger-like fangs have been washing up along the Oregon coast, leaving experts stumped.
In a Facebook post(opens in new tab) on May 1, Oregon State Parks wrote that several lancetfish had been found on beaches from Nehalem south to Bandon in recent weeks.
“No one is sure why they are washing ashore,” the post read.
Longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) normally live in tropical and subtropical waters. While they can be found in shallow waters, their preferred habitat is the twilight zone — around 650 to 3,300 feet (200 to 1,000 meters) beneath the ocean surface.
One of the lancetfish recently found in Oregon was still alive when it washed up and was helped back into the ocean and it was able to swim off, Oregon State Parks wrote.
more at livescience.com
photo credit NOAA Photo Library
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