Sea creatures with fanged jaws and slithery bodies mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon
Dinosaur-like sea creatures with fanged jaws and slithery bodies have been washing ashore on Oregon beaches — and no one knows why.
Lancetfish typically live in tropical and subtropical waters, Oregon State Parks said in a May 1 Facebook post. But they can also travel as far north as the Bering Sea near Alaska.
So it was a mystery when several of these scaleless fish began appearing on beaches from Nehalem to Bandon, park officials said.
A beachgoer spotted one alive and helped it back into the water.
Another person stumbled upon a beached lancetfish on April 28 in Lincoln City and posted photos of the fish on Facebook.
“Have never seen ANYTHING like this before! From far away I thought it was a shiny rock,” Miranda Maurine wrote.
If anyone comes across a lancetfish, officials said to take photos and tag Oregon State Parks and NOAA Fisheries West Coast.
In addition to their smooth bodies and big, glaring eyes, lancetfish also have a massive dorsal fin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
And they can grow up to 7 feet long, making them one of the largest deep-sea fishes, NOAA said. They also reach depths as far as a mile below the sea’s surface.
Nehalem is about 80 miles northwest of Portland. Bandon is about 140 miles southwest of Eugene.
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Sea creatures with fanged jaws and slithery bodies mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon."
