Latest news with #Boothe
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Rare 5-foot-long 'Twilight Zone' fish washes up on Oregon shore
A haunting surprise washed up on the Oregon coast earlier this week - a fang-toothed predator nearly five feet long, from the so-called 'Twilight Zone' of the sea. The beastly creature, identified as a longnose lancetfish, stunned locals on Seaside Beach, with its sail-like dorsal fin arching above its eel-like body. For most beachgoers, the rare sighting of the prehistoric-looking fish is the stuff of nightmares but for self-described 'fish nerds' at the Seaside Aquarium, it was a dream come true. Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager at the aquarium, in an interview to USA Today said: 'It doesn't look like a very friendly fish. If I saw that fish alive, I wouldn't touch it.' With its gaping mouth lined with sharp, curved teeth and massive, unblinking eyes, the lancetfish could easily be mistaken for a sea monster. The bizarre event was unearthed earlier this week when a curious beachgoer walked into the aquarium gift shop, clutching a photograph of the strange, freshly beached fish. The specimen looked so unusually intact that aquarium staff rushed out to retrieve it before seagulls could tear it apart. Boothe said: 'When he showed us the picture, it was such a fresh, great specimen that we were like, "Sweet, we're gonna go pick it up".' Boothe continued: 'It's kind of hard to find ones that are fresh and that intact. The seagulls just absolutely go crazy after them.' For the aquarium team, who have seen a handful of lancetfish wash up over the years, this particular specimen was a rare opportunity for a hands-on study. Nicknamed the 'Twilight Zone' fish due to the fact it hunts deep within the mesopelagic zone, a murky region of ocean lying between 650 to 3,300 feet below the surface, the longnose lancetfish usually dwells well out of human reach. They are usually only seen when deep-sea fisherman accidentally catch them when using long-lines to fish tuna. The fish prefers warmer waters but is known to migrate as far north as the Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Part sea serpent, part fang-toothed nightmare, the lancetfish belongs to the genus Alepisaurus, meaning 'scaleless lizard.' With a ribbon-like body, sail-shaped fin, and glassy eyes, the lancetfish looks like it could have swum straight out of the Jurassic period. Though other fish, sharks, and seals may prey on lancetfish, humans have little use for them. Their flesh is watery, gelatinous, and notoriously unappetizing making them one of the few apex marine predators that doesn't end up on a dinner plate. While the fish's horrifying appearance was enough to draw attention, the real mystery was inside its stomach. Lancetfish, according to NOAA and the Seaside Aquarium, are infamous for their slow digestive systems - a biological quirk that allows scientists an intact glimpse at their last meals. The team at Seaside Aquarium couldn't resist the chance to peek inside. Boothe said: 'When you look at their stomach contents, you find whole fish, squids… you see things you wouldn't normally see.' The aquarium later shared the stomach-churning content, revealing a gruesome array of prey: several squid, octopus remains, and entire fish still whole enough to be easily identified. The aquarium wrote: 'By studying what the longnose lancetfish is eating, scientists can better understand how the marine food web changes over time (if at all). It may also help understand changes in the food web brought on by events like El Nino or La Nina.' The lancetfish's stomach contents weren't the only shocking detail. The elusive predators are also known for their cannibalistic tendencies. According to Boothe, they have been observed entering frenzied feeding states where they attack others and sometimes fatally injure themselves in the process. Booth added: 'They get into feeding frenzies and not only will they eat each other, but sometimes they'll whip around and they actually gash themselves.' Attempts to keep lancetfish alive in captivity have failed miserably with The Seaside Aquarium never managing to keep one alive for more than an hour. The first specimen the staff recovered in the 1990s was ultimately preserved and mounted by a taxidermist, an eerie but beautiful relic of the deep. Though it posed no threat to the beachgoers who discovered it, the lancetfish has become an unsettling symbol of the hidden world beneath the waves, a place where ancient predators still roam and prey on anything unlucky enough to cross their path.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Twilight Zone' fish with fangs found on Oregon beach. 'I wouldn't touch it'
An strange deep-sea fish washed up on the Oregon shore recently, but it didn't surprise the fish nerds at the Seaside Aquarium. The crew at the aquarium were familiar with the fish, which had fanged teeth within a wide mouth and measured nearly 5 feet long, as a longnose lancetfish. Known to swim as deep as over a mile below the ocean's surface, lancetfish typically live in warmer waters, but do migrate as far north as the Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. That makes the Pacific Northwest coast a potential waypoint for lancetfish. "We get about a half dozen in our area a year," said Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager at the Seaside Aquarium in Seaside, Oregon. "It doesn't look like a very friendly fish. If I saw that fish alive, I wouldn't touch it." 'Tis the season for squishing: What to know about spotted lanternflies Earlier in the week, a customer came into the aquarium gift shop and showed the staff a picture of a fish he had found on the beach and wondered if they could identify it, Boothe said. "When he showed us the picture, it was such a fresh, great specimen that we were like, 'Sweet, we're gonna go pick it up,'" said Boothe, who said she's among the "fish nerds" at the aquarium. The lancetfish has "gelatinous flesh that the seagulls just absolutely go crazy after," Boothe said. "So it's kind of hard to find ones that are fresh and that intact." As Boothe and others at the aquarium learned more about the lancetfish, they discovered that the fish have a digestive system that is "really, really slow. So when you look at their stomach contents you find whole fish, squids ... you see things you wouldn't normally see." So, of course, the Seaside Aquarium fish nerds had to see what was in this latest lancetfish's stomach. They posted the results on their Facebook page. Among the findings: Several squid and octopus remains, as well as entire fish. "By studying what the longnose lancetfish is eating, scientists can better understand how the marine food web changes over time (if at all). It may also help understand changes in the food web brought on by events like El Nino or La Nina," the aquarium wrote in the Facebook post. The lancetfish is known as a "Twilight Zone" fish because the depths where it hunts are known as the twilight zone, or mesopelagic zone, according to NOAA. More facts about the lancetfish: The lancetfish, which can grow to more than 7 feet long, has a "dinosaur-worthy scientific genus name," which is Alepisaurus, meaning "scaleless lizard." Adding to the lancetfish's prehistoric look are the fanged jaws, large eyes, sail-like fin, and a long, slithery eel-like body. While other fish, sharks and seals will eat lancetfish, humans usually do not because the gelatinous flesh is watery and unappetizing. In addition to eating other fish, squid and octopus, lancetfish are cannibalistic and will feed on other lancetfish. Since lancetfish are usually deep-sea dwellers, they aren't known to be a danger to humans. But the lancetfish may "get into feeding frenzies and not only will they eat each other, but sometimes they'll whip around and they actually gash themselves" Boothe said. The aquarium has never been able to keep a lancetfish alive for more than an hour or so, but do have the first one found by the staff in the 1990s mounted after it was preserved by a taxidermist. "It's actually very beautiful," Boothe said. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fanged 'Twilight Zone' lancetfish washes ashore on Oregon beach
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Rare 5-foot-long 'Twilight Zone' fish washes up on Oregon shore: 'I wouldn't touch it'
A haunting surprise surfaced from the shadowy depths of the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon coast earlier this week - a fang-toothed predator nearly five feet long, fresh from the so-called 'Twilight Zone' of the sea. The beastly creature, identified as a longnose lancetfish, stunned locals when it washed up on Seaside Beach, with its sail-like dorsal fin arching menacingly above its eel-like body. For most beachgoers, the rare sighting of the prehistoric-looking fish is the stuff of nightmares but for self-described 'fish nerds' at the Seaside Aquarium, it was a dream come true. 'It doesn't look like a very friendly fish. If I saw that fish alive, I wouldn't touch it,' admitted Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager at the aquarium, in an interview to USA Today following the discovery. With its gaping mouth lined with sharp, curved teeth and massive, unblinking eyes, the lancetfish could easily be mistaken for a sea monster torn from myth. But it is very real - and very rarely seen in such pristine condition above the waves. The bizarre turn of events began earlier this week when a curious beachgoer wandered into the aquarium gift shop, clutching a photograph of the strange, freshly beached fish. The specimen looked so unusually intact that aquarium staff rushed out immediately to retrieve it before Oregon's voracious seagulls could tear it apart. 'When he showed us the picture, it was such a fresh, great specimen that we were like, "Sweet, we're gonna go pick it up,"' Boothe recounted. 'It's kind of hard to find ones that are fresh and that intact. The seagulls just absolutely go crazy after them.' For the aquarium team who have seen a handful of lancetfish wash up over the years, this particular specimen was a rare opportunity for hands-on study. Nicknamed the 'Twilight Zone' fish due to its hunting grounds deep within the mesopelagic zone, a murky region of ocean lying between 650 to 3,300 feet below the surface, the longnose lancetfish usually dwells well out of human reach. They are usually seen only when deep-sea fisherman accidentally catch them while using long-lines to try to catch tuna. The fish prefer warmer waters but is known to migrate as far north as the Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Part sea serpent, part fang-toothed nightmare, the lancetfish belongs to the genus Alepisaurus, meaning 'scaleless lizard.' This dinosaur-worthy name only adds to the creature's eerie, ancient mystique. With a ribbon-like body, sail-shaped fin, and glassy eyes, the lancetfish looks like it could have swum straight out of the Jurassic period. Though other fish, sharks, and seals may prey on lancetfish, humans have little use for them. Their flesh is watery, gelatinous, and notoriously unappetizing making them one of the few apex marine predators that doesn't end up on a dinner plate. While the fish's horrifying appearance was enough to draw attention, the real mystery lay inside its stomach. Lancetfish, according to NOAA and the Seaside Aquarium, are infamous for their slow digestive systems - a biological quirk that allows scientists a rare, intact glimpse at their last meals. The team at Seaside Aquarium couldn't resist the chance to peek inside. 'When you look at their stomach contents, you find whole fish, squids… you see things you wouldn't normally see,' Boothe explained. The aquarium later shared the stomach-churning content, revealing a gruesome array of prey: several squid, octopus remains, and entire fish still whole enough to be easily identified. 'By studying what the longnose lancetfish is eating, scientists can better understand how the marine food web changes over time (if at all). It may also help understand changes in the food web brought on by events like El Niño or La Niña,' the aquarium wrote. This lancet fish was found on a North Carolina beach back in 2014 The lancetfish's stomach contents weren't the only shocking detail. These elusive predators are also known for their cannibalistic tendencies, often feeding on other lancetfish. According to Boothe, they've been observed entering frenzied feeding states where they not only attack others, but sometimes fatally injure themselves in the process. 'They get into feeding frenzies and not only will they eat each other, but sometimes they'll whip around and they actually gash themselves,' Boothe noted. Attempts to keep lancetfish alive in captivity have failed miserably. The Seaside Aquarium has never managed to keep one alive for more than an hour. The first specimen the staff recovered back in the 1990s was ultimately preserved and mounted by a taxidermist, an eerie but beautiful relic of the deep. 'It's actually very beautiful,' Boothe said of the preserved specimen. Though it posed no threat to the beachgoers who discovered it, the lancetfish has become an unsettling symbol of the hidden world beneath the waves, a place where ancient predators still roam and prey on anything unlucky enough to cross their path.
Indianapolis Star
26-04-2025
- Science
- Indianapolis Star
'Twilight Zone' fish with fangs found on Oregon beach. 'I wouldn't touch it'
A scary-looking fish washed ashore on an Oregon beach. It came from the 'Twilight Zone,' what researchers call the ocean depths as much as a mile below the surface. Show Caption An strange deep-sea fish washed up on the Oregon shore recently, but it didn't surprise the fish nerds at the Seaside Aquarium. The crew at the aquarium were familiar with the fish, which had fanged teeth within a wide mouth and measured nearly 5 feet long, as a longnose lancetfish. Known to swim as deep as over a mile below the ocean's surface, lancetfish typically live in warmer waters, but do migrate as far north as the Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. That makes the Pacific Northwest coast a potential waypoint for lancetfish. "We get about a half dozen in our area a year," said Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager at the Seaside Aquarium in Seaside, Oregon. "It doesn't look like a very friendly fish. If I saw that fish alive, I wouldn't touch it." Earlier in the week, a customer came into the aquarium gift shop and showed the staff a picture of a fish he had found on the beach and wondered if they could identify it, Boothe said. "When he showed us the picture, it was such a fresh, great specimen that we were like, 'Sweet, we're gonna go pick it up,'" said Boothe, who said she's among the "fish nerds" at the aquarium. The lancetfish has "gelatinous flesh that the seagulls just absolutely go crazy after," Boothe said. "So it's kind of hard to find ones that are fresh and that intact." Washed-up lancetfish had entire fish in its stomach As Boothe and others at the aquarium learned more about the lancetfish, they discovered that the fish have a digestive system that is "really, really slow. So when you look at their stomach contents you find whole fish, squids ... you see things you wouldn't normally see." So, of course, the Seaside Aquarium fish nerds had to see what was in this latest lancetfish's stomach. They posted the results on their Facebook page. Among the findings: Several squid and octopus remains, as well as entire fish. "By studying what the longnose lancetfish is eating, scientists can better understand how the marine food web changes over time (if at all). It may also help understand changes in the food web brought on by events like El Nino or La Nina," the aquarium wrote in the Facebook post. Lancetfish facts The lancetfish is known as a "Twilight Zone" fish because the depths where it hunts are known as the twilight zone, or mesopelagic zone, according to NOAA. More facts about the lancetfish: The lancetfish, which can grow to more than 7 feet long, has a "dinosaur-worthy scientific genus name," which is Alepisaurus, meaning "scaleless lizard." Adding to the lancetfish's prehistoric look are the fanged jaws, large eyes, sail-like fin, and a long, slithery eel-like body. While other fish, sharks and seals will eat lancetfish, humans usually do not because the gelatinous flesh is watery and unappetizing. In addition to eating other fish, squid and octopus, lancetfish are cannibalistic and will feed on other lancetfish. Since lancetfish are usually deep-sea dwellers, they aren't known to be a danger to humans. But the lancetfish may "get into feeding frenzies and not only will they eat each other, but sometimes they'll whip around and they actually gash themselves" Boothe said. The aquarium has never been able to keep a lancetfish alive for more than an hour or so, but do have the first one found by the staff in the 1990s mounted after it was preserved by a taxidermist. "It's actually very beautiful," Boothe said.
Indianapolis Star
26-04-2025
- Science
- Indianapolis Star
'Twilight Zone' fish with fangs found on Oregon beach. 'I wouldn't touch it'
An strange deep-sea fish washed up on the Oregon shore recently, but it didn't surprise the fish nerds at the Seaside Aquarium. The crew at the aquarium were familiar with the fish, which had fanged teeth within a wide mouth and measured nearly 5 feet long, as a longnose lancetfish. Known to swim as deep as over a mile below the ocean's surface, lancetfish typically live in warmer waters, but do migrate as far north as the Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. That makes the Pacific Northwest coast a potential waypoint for lancetfish. "We get about a half dozen in our area a year," said Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager at the Seaside Aquarium in Seaside, Oregon. "It doesn't look like a very friendly fish. If I saw that fish alive, I wouldn't touch it." Earlier in the week, a customer came into the aquarium gift shop and showed the staff a picture of a fish he had found on the beach and wondered if they could identify it, Boothe said. "When he showed us the picture, it was such a fresh, great specimen that we were like, 'Sweet, we're gonna go pick it up,'" said Boothe, who said she's among the "fish nerds" at the aquarium. The lancetfish has "gelatinous flesh that the seagulls just absolutely go crazy after," Boothe said. "So it's kind of hard to find ones that are fresh and that intact." Washed-up lancetfish had entire fish in its stomach As Boothe and others at the aquarium learned more about the lancetfish, they discovered that the fish have a digestive system that is "really, really slow. So when you look at their stomach contents you find whole fish, squids ... you see things you wouldn't normally see." So, of course, the Seaside Aquarium fish nerds had to see what was in this latest lancetfish's stomach. They posted the results on their Facebook page. Among the findings: Several squid and octopus remains, as well as entire fish. "By studying what the longnose lancetfish is eating, scientists can better understand how the marine food web changes over time (if at all). It may also help understand changes in the food web brought on by events like El Nino or La Nina," the aquarium wrote in the Facebook post. Lancetfish facts The lancetfish is known as a "Twilight Zone" fish because the depths where it hunts are known as the twilight zone, or mesopelagic zone, according to NOAA. More facts about the lancetfish: The lancetfish, which can grow to more than 7 feet long, has a "dinosaur-worthy scientific genus name," which is Alepisaurus, meaning "scaleless lizard." Adding to the lancetfish's prehistoric look are the fanged jaws, large eyes, sail-like fin, and a long, slithery eel-like body. While other fish, sharks and seals will eat lancetfish, humans usually do not because the gelatinous flesh is watery and unappetizing. In addition to eating other fish, squid and octopus, lancetfish are cannibalistic and will feed on other lancetfish. Since lancetfish are usually deep-sea dwellers, they aren't known to be a danger to humans. But the lancetfish may "get into feeding frenzies and not only will they eat each other, but sometimes they'll whip around and they actually gash themselves" Boothe said. The aquarium has never been able to keep a lancetfish alive for more than an hour or so, but do have the first one found by the staff in the 1990s mounted after it was preserved by a taxidermist. "It's actually very beautiful," Boothe said.
