The Lancetfish: Another rare, deep-sea fish washes ashore at San Diego beach

The Lancetfish: Another rare, deep-sea fish washes ashore at San Diego beach

Source: 10news

12/1/2021

Credit: Ben Frable

Another rare, deep-sea fish has washed ashore in La Jolla just weeks after a similar and scary discovery was made at a nearby beach in North County.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego says La Jolla Shores lifeguards notified them Wednesday afternoon about a strange-looking fish washing ashore.

When Marine Vertebrate Collections Manager Ben Frable showed up to check it out, he found a dead 4-foot lancetfish.

According to Frable, this is the 17th lancetfish that was found on a beach in San Diego County since 1947, and the third from La Jolla Shores. The last one that came in near San Diego was in Oceanside in 1996.

Researchers say Lancetfish tend to live offshore and in the deep ocean. They vertically migrate and can be found from the surface down to 6,000 feet.