A bizarre-looking rotting sea creature has been found washed up on a coast in the United States.
The pictures posted on Reddit by user Kristine Tillotson shows an animal with needle-like teeth, lying dead on a stack of rocks. Parts of its body are peeling away, as it appears to be decomposing. In the caption, Ms Tillotson asked for help in identifying the creature and informed that she came across the animal at Mill Beach in Brookings, Oregon.
Since being shared, social media post has gone viral. Several users commented on the pictures, speculating as to what it could be. One user wrote, “I think that is called Aaaaagh!!” Another user speculated that it might be a wolf eel - a species that lives across the North Pacific.
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However, a third user pointed out that “the teeth aren't big enough for a wolf eel and lingcod are known for replacing teeth daily which is why you can see the rows of new teeth with being shrunken."
According to Newsweek, Ms Tillotson has revealed bone collecting group, as well as a marine biologist group on Reddit, have agreed that the bizarre creature is a type of eel called a monkeyface prickleback eel. “I was excited and confused when I first saw it. I love walking the beach to see what washes up whether it's animals or shells. I thought it was super interesting because it didn't look like any fish I'd ever seen, it looked like one of those deep-sea creatures,” she added.
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As per the outlet, Monkeyface prickleback eels, also commonly known as monkeyface eels, are native to the Pacific coast of North America. They can be found in rocky reef habitats from Oregon to Baja California and Mexico. They are called monkeyface eels due to their unusual appearance - live ones have a large lump on the top of their head, which can look like a monkey's nose.
