A fish described as having the body of a shark and the face of a pig was pulled out of the sea by Italian naval officers who were left baffled by their rare catch.
According to The Mirror, the fish was spotted in the waters at the Darsena Medicea marina in the town of Portoferraio on the Italian island of Elba. Sailors who pulled it out of water were 'creeped out' by its bizarre-looking face, but quickly dispelled the possibility of it being a mutant. The fish was instead identified as an angular roughshark, which lives up to 2,300 feet below the surface. It is sometimes known as a pig-face shark.
Photos of the shark were shared on Facebook last Friday and have gone viral on the platform with over 500 comments and more than 1,200 reactions. Many in the comments section said they were surprised by the odd-looking creature, while others criticised the naval officers, assuming that the shark had been caught on purpose.
The angular roughshark is currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Although it is endangered, Yuri Tiberto of the local Elba Aquarium said it is not uncommon to see the creature in the area.
"In the sea of the Tuscan archipelago, so rich in biodiversity... it is not uncommon to find this fish, and I can safely say that I often receive reports telling me of 'pig fish' that have ended up in local fishing nets," he told local media.
"It is commonly called a 'pig fish' because when it comes out of the water it emits a kind of grunt," he added.
A Staggering $150 Million Insurance Payout For Superyacht That Sank Inside Amy Jackson And Ed Westwick's "First Evening" Of Wedding Celebrations: "Sailing Into Forever With You..." Amy Jackson And Ed Westwick Are Now Married: "The Journey Has Just Begun" US Millionaire, Who Died By Suicide, Owed $34 Million With $8,000 In Bank Manipur Chief Minister Slams Tejashwi Yadav Over "Racist" Jab At Himanta Sarma UK's Seat Should Go To India: Ex-Diplomat On UN Security Council Reforms 8 Killed After Bus Carrying 47 Overturns In US State Of Mississippi: Report Trump "Disrespected Sacred Ground' At US Military Cemetery: Kamala Harris Top 10 US Universities Based On Forbes Rankings 2024 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.