Cannon Beach, Oregon - A fish that lives thousands of feet below the ocean's surface washed ashore on Cannon Beach in Oregon over the weekend, marking the first time in recorded history that one has ever come to land.
The Seaside Aquarium said beachgoers discovered the deep-sea creature, known as a Pacific football fish, just south of Cannon Beach, CBS News reported May 20.
Experts say the deep-sea fish is extremely rare, with only 31 ever found in more than a century since they were first discovered.
"Only 31 have ever been recorded worldwide, including in New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Hawaii, Ecuador, Chile, and California," the Seaside Aquarium said.
This is the first time a Pacific football fish has been documented along the Oregon coast.
Viewers of the animated film "Finding Nemo" may recognize the Pacific football fish. It's the species that lures Dory and Marlin in with its glowing light.
The Pacific football fish is one of more than 100 species of anglerfish found around the world. Scientists know that they typically live thousands of feet below sea level and lure prey into their mouths with the help of a glowing bioluminescent bulb that hangs in front of their heads.
They are covered in spines and the Pacific football fish's sharp teeth are used to trap other deep-sea fish, squid, and crustaceans up to 3,280 feet deep, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
However, that description only applies to the female of the species. The males serve one purpose: to help the females reproduce. The male latches onto the female with its teeth and becomes a "sexual parasite." It will eventually fuse with the female's body until nothing is left of it except its reproductive organs.
The male is 10 times smaller than the female, and it loses its eyes and internal organs and gets all of its nutrients from the female.
"The males are more like parasites," the Seaside Aquarium said, adding that while it's unknown how they find females in the complete darkness without eyes, they provide the females with "a constant supply of sperm."
Summary
A deep-sea fish known as a Pacific football fish has washed ashore on Cannon Beach in Oregon, marking the first time one has ever come to land. The fish, which typically lives thousands of feet below the ocean's surface, is extremely rare, with only 31 ever found in more than a century. The fish is known for its glowing bioluminescent bulb that lures prey into its mouth. Males of the species are much smaller than females and serve as "sexual parasites," fusing with the female's body to provide a constant supply of sperm.