America
Big-eyed fish mysteriously wash ashore
At over a meter in length, they are one of the largest deep-sea fishes. However, a lancefish has been wandering off the West Coast of the United States for a few days, leaving scientists confused.
Published
Lancefish look like they came from prehistoric times. Their distinguishing features include spaced teeth, large eyes, sail-like fins, and a long, slender body.
Imago Images / Nature Picture Library
Its scientific common name, Alepisaurus, means “lizard without measure”. Lancefish are scaleless fish with smooth skin and perforations along the lateral line.
images by imago/Bluegreen
At over a meter in length, the spearfish is one of the largest deep-sea fishes.
Imago Images / Nature Picture Library
Spearfish live primarily in tropical and subtropical waters, but also migrate to subarctic areas such as the Bering Sea in Alaska to feed.
NOAA
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Many spears have washed ashore on the west coast of the United States.
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Fish mostly live in tropical and subtropical waters at depths greater than one and a half kilometers.
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It occasionally happens that they appear further north, which is why they are washed out, but it is not clear.
Many large-mouthed, large-eyed fish have washed ashore on the American West Coast, and they typically make their homes more than a mile below the surface. Oregon officials said the scaleless spearfish were found between Nehalem and Bandon, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the California border. If more specimens are found, photographs should be taken and reported to Fisheries and Wildlife officials.
Miranda Crowell reported finding a fish on Lincoln City Beach last week. He was over a meter long Obviously washed out. At first she thought it was a barracuda, but then took a closer look. “I’ve never seen anything like this on the beach,” she said.
Spearfish live in tropical and subtropical waters
Spearfish live in tropical and subtropical waters Grows up to two meters tall. They have a slender body and a sail-like dorsal fin. They occasionally appear further north, said Ben Frable of the University of California, San Diego’s Oceanographic Institute.
There were reports of this already in the 19th century. They have even been found in the Bering Sea off Alaska. Why this is so is still being researched. The spearfish may have descended into shallow water in search of prey or fled from predators. Their appearance shows the diversity of life and “there are things you can’t imagine – but they are out there”.
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(DPA/SMK)
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