Grotesque fish caught off Australia ignites debate. ‘Put it back in its space ship’
It’s tough to stump professional anglers with a fish, but a charter boat captain admits being perplexed by something caught in deep waters off southeast Australia.
A photo shows his catch had bulging green eyes, black saw-like teeth, and flesh that appeared to have been roasted over an open fire. It came up with a bait fish hanging out of its mouth, too.
Jason Moyce — known as “Trapman Bermagui” on social media — turned to social media for help identifying the fish.
“I’m pretty sure this is a blobfish?” Moyce wrote June 27 on Facebook. “Caught in deep water, east off Bermagui. Probably the ugliest fish I’ve ever seen. ... Much more ugly in the flesh.”
The fish does (sort of) resemble the blobfish, which have a fleshy color, “globular head and ‘floppy’ skin,” according to the Australian Museum.
However, this one looks to be festering, which had some people convinced it’s something other than a blobfish.
The photo racked up hundreds of reactions and comments within hours, including people who were justifiably horrified when Moyce suggested he might eat it. “Never put anything in (your) mouth that you can’t identify,” Sylvia Edwards wrote.
Others offered guesses as to what it might be (a monkfish, stargazer, angler fish), including one person who suggested it “looks like it used to be human!”
“Please put it back in its space ship,” Dijan Jurjevic posted.
“How could anyone possibly look at that and think mmmm ... yum. I might cook it up and eat it,” Charmaine Fulmer wrote on Facebook.
“I don’t care what it is. And please never post a photo of it again I’m going to vomit and have nightmares now,” Shantell Jones wrote.
Bermagui is a seaside town and waters off its coast attract anglers from around the world, since “warm northerly currents flow very close to the shore bringing an abundance of all types of fish,” according to Visitbermagui.com.
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