The weirdest things always turn up in the most unexpected places.
For one man, it was a rarely seen deep-sea creature known as a Pacific Footballfish that washed up at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach last Friday. Beachgoer Ben Estes "happened to notice it on the sand," snapped a few photos and alerted authorities, a local tour boat company said.
The elusive species is typically found more than 3,000 feet below the surface. It’s "extremely rare" to find one preserved this well washed up on a California beach, according to wildlife officials.
There are an estimated 200 species of angler fish worldwide.
"Only females possess a long stalk on the head with bioluminescent tips used as a lure to entice prey in the darkness of waters as deep as 3,000 feet! Their teeth, like pointed shards of glass, are transparent and their large mouth is capable of sucking up and swallowing prey the size of their own body," a Facebook post from park officials explained.
It's not yet clear where this 18-inch fish will go.
Its carcass is currently with the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife but could end up with an educational institution or museum.
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