It is the second time in recent years for a deep-sea Pacific footballfish to wash up over Crystal Cove State Park's Moro Beach.
Deep-sea Pacific Footballfish Found Washed Up in California Coasts
The dead fish was discovered by a seasonal lifeguard close to their headquarters. It was then recovered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for further examination.
The recently washed up fish was identified to be a female Pacific footballfish, which is an anglerfish species that dwells in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. They dwell 600 to 1,000 meters deep into the sea.
According to senior environmental scientist supervisor Michelle Horeczko from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the fish measured 36 centimeters from its mouth all the way to its tail fin. Horeczko adds that all over the world, only around 30 specimens of this fish species had been collected. Given that, the recent discovery may offer vital insights regarding Pacific football fish.
This stranding event comes after an earlier one back in 2021. Back then, a visitor discovered a fish of the same species washed up on the shore.
Officials from Crystal Cove State Park explain in a post that it is rare to see an intact anglerfish, adding that why or how these fish washed up on the shore remains a mystery.
Following the analysis, the fish was then handed over to Los Angeles' Natural History Museum, which is where the 2021 fish was also kept. They did so for the specimen to be kept and available for further study.
Guess who washed up just in time for Friday the 13th? It’s angler fish #2 at Crystal Cove State Park! In May of 2021... Posted by Crystal Cove State Park on Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Pacific Footballfish
The teeth of these creatures are extremely pointed, likened to glass shards, and also transparent. Their huge mouths can suck and swallow prey that are as big as their own selves.
These creatures are just one of the over 300 anglerfish species that dwell in the depths of the sea all over the world. Female ones can stretch up to 61 centimeters in length, which is roughly 10 times bigger compared to some male fish.
Males adapted to latch onto female fish and serve as parasitic sperm providers for their lifetime. Across some species, males combine their own bloodstream with their hosts. This results in female coalescing until nothing but testes for reproduction remains.
The officials note that only female deep-sea Pacific footballfish have a long head stalk with tips that exhibit bioluminescence that they use to lure prey in.
Though the exact reason behind the strandings still remains a mystery, the sighting of the odd fish shows the interesting diversity in the waters of protected areas in California.
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