A client of Jaime Rendon, a well known and liked local captain of the panga Dr. Pescado caught the strange creature while on a fishing trip. Rendon, who knew the fish was “something special,” took pictures that were then posted on Pisces Sportfishing Fleets’s Facebook page.
The pictures showed a bulbous pink and white animal with strange-looking eyes, along with three rows of teeth. The creature’s skin texture and teeth appeared to indicate it was a shark, but other features cast doubt on this theory, says News.com.au.
Sharks usually have from five to seven gill slits on each side of the head, but this creature only had three gill slits. Another unusual feature was the eyes of the fish. The eyes were strangely-shaped and greenish in color. Rendon said, “I was really surprised, but what caused the most impact were the eyes, so strange.”
Rendon thought the “alien fish” was so unusual it must be endangered, so after snapping some pictures the fish was returned to the sea unharmed, reports the Daily Mail. Several people, after seeing the pictures, suggested the creature was a swell shark, and that is exactly what it turned out to be.
The alien fish is a swell shark, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum, and is a normal inhabitant of the subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean. It can grow to a little over three feet in length and has the ability to draw in seawater to expand itself to almost twice its size when disturbed or trying to fend off prey.
The swell shark’s normal coloration resembles that of a leopard shark, in that its body is yellow-brown with dark blotches and white spots. They are nocturnal and spend their days hiding in crevices or under ledges. Their gills are small, numbering five, and their eyes are usually large and golden in color. They are completely harmless to humans.