California, United States
A ghost-like creature washed up at a California beach over the weekend and left onlookers stunned, as per a Reddit post that shared a photo. The marine animal looked pale and mangled and had a scary set of teeth, leaving people wondering what it was.
Some people compared it to the plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile the mythical Loch Ness monster is also said to be.
It has a strange appearance, something like a sea serpent depicted on old marine maps, but state officials believe it is merely a not-so-good-looking fish that is actually quite common. Tim Daly, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson, told SFGATE that the creature appears to be a moray eel and is common throughout Southern California.
He said that this eel seems to have been "a little bleached out from being dead."
The moray eel is a predatory sea animal that lives in tropical and subtropical seas and often hides in rocks and crevices in reefs.
The Reddit user who posted the photo wrote, "It’s giving me nightmares."
The creature's teeth stand out in the photo, besides its unique shape and colour. Experts say that moray eels don't usually attack humans.
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However, they can be quite vicious as their two sets of jaws and teeth jutting backwards make it hard for the prey to escape.
Moray eels have a place in history
History books suggest that the moray eel enjoyed a special place among ancient Romans. They apparently not only ate the eel but also revered it. The Muraena helena, or the Mediterranean eel, were often dressed up like women, as per records held by multiple universities.
It was such a loved eel that once more than 6,000 of them were reportedly sent to Julius Caesar. One of them was kept as a pet by Antonia, the niece of Augustus, who also put earrings on it.
Even the famous Roman general Crassus had one which he adorned with earrings and small necklaces, as per an article from the University of Chicago. It was even trained to "respond to its name and swim up to eat what was offered."
It received a proper funeral after dying.