Beachgoers in Oregon experienced a rare encounter over the weekend. They discovered a deep-sea rare anglerfish washed up on the shore. The rare fish, also known as a Pacific footballfish, was found just south of Cannon Beach.

This marks the first recorded sighting of this species on Oregon’s shores. The Seaside Aquarium revealed this while sharing the news on Facebook.

The Pacific football fish typically inhabits the deep, dark ocean at depths up to 3,300 feet. It is rarely seen by humans, with only a few dozen sightings since its discovery over a century ago. The aquarium noted that “little is known about their life history, but what is known is unusually fascinating.”

The fish is known for its terrifying appearance. It features a gaping underbite with spiny teeth and small black eyes. The fish also has a tentacle-covered appendage and a bioluminescent bulb on its head. These features may be familiar to fans of Pixar’s “Finding Nemo,” where a similar creature appears as a deep-sea monster.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Pacific footballfish is the significant difference between males and females. Female anglerfish are much larger than their male counterparts, who are ten times smaller.

The males lead a parasitic existence, attaching themselves to females and losing their eyes and internal organs in the process. They rely on females for nutrients and exist primarily to provide sperm. The aquarium remarked, “How the males find the females in the pitch dark is still unknown.”

Anglerfish use their bioluminescent bulbs to lure prey, which includes fish, squid, and deep-sea crustaceans. Their sharp teeth are not used to chew but to trap food. The aquarium pointed out that “they eat anything that can fit into their mouths.”

Each sighting of the Pacific football fish provides scientists with valuable insights into this elusive species. Ben Frable, an ichthyologist and the collection manager of Fishes at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, emphasized the importance of these findings.

“We don’t know a lot about even the basics of how they live,” Frable said. He highlighted the potential for new information with each specimen. The Scripps Institution recently obtained a female anglerfish measuring roughly 15 inches and weighing 5.5 pounds.

This recent discovery on the Oregon coast adds to the growing body of knowledge about the deep-sea ecosystem. The sighting of rare anglerfish is truly a rare incident. As scientists continue to study these specimens, they hope to unlock more secrets about the mysterious lives of deep-sea creatures.

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