A fish described as getting the body of a shark and the face of a pig was pulled out of the sea by Italian naval officers who have been left baffled by their uncommon catch.
According to The Mirror, the fish was spotted in the waters at the Darsena Medicea marina in the town of Portoferraio on the Italian island of Elba. Sailors who pulled it out of water have been ‘creeped out’ by its bizarre-seeking face, but immediately dispelled the possibility of it getting a mutant. The fish was alternatively identified as an angular roughshark, which lives up to 2,300 feet beneath the surface. It is from time to time recognized as a pig-face shark.
Photos of the shark have been shared on Facebook last Friday and have gone viral on the platform with more than 500 comments and more than 1,200 reactions. Many in the comments section stated they have been shocked by the odd-seeking creature, whilst other people criticised the naval officers, assuming that the shark had been caught on objective.
The angular roughshark is at present listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Although it is endangered, Yuri Tiberto of the nearby Elba Aquarium stated it is not uncommon to see the creature in the region.
“In the sea of the Tuscan archipelago, so rich in biodiversity… it is not uncommon to find this fish, and I can safely say that I often receive reports telling me of ‘pig fish’ that have ended up in local fishing nets,” he told nearby media.
“It is commonly called a ‘pig fish’ because when it comes out of the water it emits a kind of grunt,” he added.