Nightmarish 'footballfish' washes up dead on US beach in potential 1st-of-its-kind occurrence

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Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology.

An extremely rare, deep-sea"footballfish" recently washed up dead on a beach in Oregon — potentially for the first time in the state's history. It is unclear what killed the creepy-looking creature or how it ended up there.

Pacific footballfish are exceptionally rare. Since the first-ever specimen was accidentally collected in 1975 during a deep-sea trawl in Hawaii, only around 30 individuals have ever been found washed ashore or in the wild, according to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Like most other anglerfish, footballfish lures are modified segments of the fish's dorsal fin and house bioluminescent bacteria that produce light in exchange for protection and nutrients. But unlike most other anglerfish, which have a single bulb-like lure, Pacific footballfish have segmented lures with multiple tendrils extending from the end of their head stalks.

Like other anglerfish, female Pacific footballfish are much bigger than the males — a phenomenon known as sexual dimorphism. The females, like the one that washed up in Oregon, can grow to around 2 feet long, while males only get to around 10% of this size.

 

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