Scientists Baffled After Rare 7-Foot Hoodwinker Sunfish Washes Up On A California Beach
Scientists baffled after giant 7ft hoodwinker sunfish washes up on a California beach. The fish had only previously be sighted in the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists are wondering if the fish is part of a yet undiscovered North American population or if it simply wandered away from the Australian region.
A massive, strange-looking fish wound up on a beach and the creature has yet again, left scientists flummoxed.
Marine life is still a largely undiscovered terrain for researchers and whenever a strange creature washes ashore, scientists are confused and locals are terrified; some even consider it to be ominous.
Scientists baffled after giant 7ft hoodwinker sunfish washes up on a California beach - 12,000 MILES from where it is usually found
¡ª Nico Spalato (@NikeSpalato) 1 March 2019
The fish had only previously be sighted in the Southern Hemisphere
It washed up dead last week at UC Santa Barbara¡¯s Coal Oil Point Reserve pic.twitter.com/Pj6wug7JJT
Recently, the shores of American Riviera, UC Santa Barbara in California saw a huge marine creature washing over.
It was a weird fish about 7-foot long and supposed to belong to an extremely rare species. Researchers came in to collect tissue samples and take close up pictures of the species.
According to reports, scientists are wondering if the fish is part of a yet undiscovered North American population or if it simply wandered away from the Australian region.
Scientists are wondering if the fish is part of a yet undiscovered North American population or if it simply wandered away from the Australian region
¡ª Nico Spalato (@NikeSpalato) 1 March 2019
It was named the Hoodwinker Sunfish thanks to its ability to remain hidden pic.twitter.com/89wuJjzRxn
"When the clear pictures came through, I thought there was no doubt. This is totally a hoodwinker," said marine scientist Marianne Nyegaard to CNN. "I couldn't believe it. I nearly fell out of my chair."
Nyegaard discovered the species in 2017 and spent years searching for it before she finally found and named it.
It was named the Hoodwinker Sunfish thanks to its ability to remain hidden. The last time this fish was seen in the Northern hemisphere was around the 1890s!
