PHOTO: Viper Dogfish Caught off Coast of Taiwan

Viper Dogfish - Sputnik, Int'l.

First discovered in 1986 and not revealed to the public until 1990, the Viper Dogfish (or Trigonognathus kabeyai) is a rare, deep-sea shark rarely seen by Man.  Not much is known about the species, but it reportedly poses little threat to humans despite its fearsome appearance, as crustaceans and bony fishes comprise its diet.

Earth Touch News revealed the find on January 13^th, 2018, and the report was picked-up by Sputnik International.  Specimen have been acquired off the coasts of Japan and Hawaii, as well.

© The Weirding, 2018

Pacu Fish in New Jersey Lake Origin of Urban Legend?

Pacu

Regardless of where you live in the United States, you are likely to have heard the urban legend regarding testicle-biting fish that infest local bodies of water.  Usually, these myths are accompanied by moralistic tales of illicit activity -- skinny-dipping or romantic trysts by moonlight.  However, a recent discovery in a New Jersey Lake had even national periodicals discussing the urban legend.

Two Pacu, fish with human-like teeth that are indigenous to South America, were discovered in Swedes Lake in New Jersey.  Pictures of the fish went viral online, and have been seen around the globe, causing the testicle-eating fish myth to begin anew.  However, National Geographic, USA Today, and other major outlets were quick to lay the urban legend to rest, saying the Amazonian fish eats fruits and nuts, not meat.  Pacu are related to piranha -- another fish with razor-sharp teeth which is infamous for its, very definite, carnivorous diet.

However, the legend persists: In 2011, two swimmers' bodies were found in New Guinea sans testicles, fueling speculation amongst the locals.  No one can confirm or deny that the fish may mistake swimmers' testicles for their usual vegetarian fare on occasion, but fish and other wild animals are also known to eat the soft parts of decomposing corpses.  They usually go first for the eyes, ears, and -- yes -- the testicles.

Tropical fish, the Pacu are unlikely to survive in temperate waters that may well freeze in winter.  As to how the Pacu got into Swedes Lake, it's likely they outgrew their fishtank and someone threw them in there.

© The Weirding, 2015

Frankenfish

Mark Sawyer caught a fish experts believe is an amalgamation of three different species - roach, goldfish, and bream. While some might think the catch is a hoax, Sawyer is an editor at the Angling Times so he is not likely to perpetuate a hoax at the expense of his reputation. You can see pictures of the "Frankenfish" here.

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

Things What Done Fell from the Sky - Fish in California

Small fish fell from a clear sky in Chico, California in such great numbers one day in 1878 that it made the New York Times. As that newspaper reported on September 2^nd of the same year, the fish covered several acres of ground.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ancient Whale Found Beneath San Diego Zoo

Construction workers uncovered the bones of a 24'-long whale while constructing a new storm-water runoff tank. Workers came across the skull of the 3-million-year-old baleen whale during the initial dig, which was unusual enough, but continue to discover even more bones, including the vertebrate and flippers. Whale fossils have been discovered in San Diego before, but rarely intact. The bones will be moved to Balboa Museum for further study and may eventually be displayed there.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Whale Euthanized by Explosives

A "terminally ill" humpback whale that had beached itself in Western Australia was euthanized by explosive charge after it repositioned itself some ways down. Apparently, the whale became stranded in Albany two weeks ago and authorities had determined it was ill. They had decided to let it die, but it was still very strong. After it moved several meters down the sandbar, authorities decided it was a health risk and used an explosive charge to kill it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

8' Bull Shark Caught in Potomac

Willy Dean set out nets in the Potomac River to catch cow-nosed rays but caught an 8' bull shark, instead!  Dean was fishing for a marine biologist, yet neither expected the catch.  Experts note that, while unusual, sharks are known to swim up rivers hundreds of miles, in some cases. 

This is not even the first time sharks have been caught in the Potomac!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Family Sues SeaWorld Over Son's Trauma

A family who was in attendance when a trainer was pulled under and drowned by a killer whale is suing the Orlando SeaWorld theme park for traumatizing their 10-year-old son. While this sounds like a frivolous lawsuit at first blush, and common sense screams, "Why did you just stand there and watch!? WTF!?" the family is actually only suing for a little over $15,000.

SeaWorld has been fined $75,000 by federal authorities for safety violations. The killer whale which attacked the trainer was also known to be violent. All things told, I absolutely believe a 10-year-old child would be traumatized by such a thing, and SeaWorld should absolutely bear the responsibility. More than anything, $15,000 is a very reasonable amount, and I have a feeling that, should this case go to trial, the family may be rewarded far more than that.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Fish Oils to Treat Mentally Ill?

An international team using a study group of 81 people in the "high-risk" category for developing mental illness, treated ¹/₂ with fish oil supplements, and the other half with a placebo, and found that about 1 in 4 high-risk adults could be "protected" from developing mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, by the treatment.

The team considered those with a family history of mental illness, as well as those already exhibiting signs of mental illness, fit the high-risk category. The tested group was treated for three months, and monitored by the team for a year.

Antipsychotic medications often cause more harm than good.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Deep-Sea Diver Finds Dank Water-Secreting Skull

Fifteen years ago, a commercial fisherman from Maine came across a bizarre skull in waters about 1800' deep. Since then, he has kept it in his garage, where he says no mice or insects have even tried to disturb it. Even more inexplicable, the skull has continued to secrete a brown ooze from a hole in its top - for the last 15 years!

This story was reported out of Portland some weeks back (and yours truly sat on it for another week or so). In that time, many commenters have reported finding similar skulls, most of whom are also commercial fishermen. At this time, most seem to agree the skull belongs to some type of catfish.

Catfish are "bottom-feeders," meaning they stay toward the bottom and feed largely off of sediment and, basically, whatever comes to them - they do not "hunt" for food. A large skull, such as this one, could possibly hold enough mud, or brackish water, to continue oozing it slowly for some time... but, 15 years?

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Woman Arrested for Selling Goldfish to Child

66-year old Jane Higgins, a great-grandmother, and her 47-year old son, Mark, were arrested for selling a goldfish to a boy who was only 14. The Animal Welfare Act of 2006 states that pets cannot be sold to children under 16 unless accompanied by an adult, and the seller must inform the purchaser on how to care for the animal. Authorities were informed that the pet store run by the mother and son were selling to underage kids, so they sent the 14-year old in to make a purchase in a "sting" operation.

Jane Higgins expected a small fine or the like, but nearly fainted when she was told she faced a possible prison sentence! Higgins wound-up receiving a £1000 fine, being placed under curfew, and forced to wear an electronic tag for two months. The sentence is one usually given to violent offenders and cost taxpayers an estimated £20,000! Her son was sentenced to 120 hours community service.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Sharks Found in Tennessee River

Two sharks, measuring approximately 14" and weighing two lbs., were found dead in the Tennessee River within a short time of one another.  The first was brought from the river, already dead, by a dog; the second was found washed-up on the bank several miles away.  Both sharks were found by visitors to popular destination points along the river in Decatur County, TN.

While the species of the sharks is unknown, Keith Byrd of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, who is looking into the matter, says he hesitates to call them "baby" sharks.  How the sharks got into the Tennessee River will likely never be known, but it is strongly suspected they were bought as bait in Florida or Mississippi and dumped in the river, perhaps as a joke.  It is also possible they were someone's pets until they outgrew their aquarium home.  However, Byrd says it is possible the sharks made it up the river either from the Gulf of Mexico or the Mississippi River.

Saltwater specimens have been found in freshwater Tennessee rivers before.  A Florida manatee was discovered in the Wolf River Conservancy in Memphis, and blue crab and needlefish have been found in the Tennessee River in the past.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Things What Done Fell from the Sky: Fishfall, Australia

Residents were shocked to see hundreds of spangled perch fall from the skies over the small outback town of Lajamanu in Australia the other day. Eyewitnesses say the fish were alive when they hit the ground (those not killed by the fall, that is) and were scattered everywhere across the town. many were collected by hand and placed in buckets and other readily available receptacles, where pictures were taken as evidence.

Meteorologists are trotting out the age-old "tornado" theory, suggesting the fish were picked-up by storms in one place and deposited elsewhere. Yet even critics and skeptics find this "explanation" hard to swallow for all sorts of reasons covered in earlier posts in this series.

One eyewitness quipped, "All I can say is that I'm thankful that it didn't rain crocodiles!"

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Piranha Caught in Wabash

A 21-year old fisherman seeking catfish pulled a 2¹/₂-lb. piranha from the Wabash River in Louisiana this weekend. His dad, a Rhodes scholar, stuck his finger in the fish's mouth and exclaimed, "It's got teeth!"

A local scientist (not a Rhodes scholar) said he believes the South American catch to be the result of someone having thrown their pet into the river. However, he admits that at least one more piranha has been pulled from the waterway in the last 40 years. Yes, at least two piranha have been caught in the Wabash River in the last 38 years!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Moko No Let Go

Moko, a lone dolphin, took up residence at Mahia Beach two years ago and has become quite the tourist attraction. Moko even made international news recently, when he guided a confused whale and her pup back to the sea. Many tourists and residents like to swim and play with Moko, but one woman nearly drowned when Moko wouldn't let her quit and go home!

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she went swimming alone, later than one should (and admitted it was "probably... not the wisest thing to do"), and enjoyed playing with Moko for a while. However, when she began to head for the beach, Moko was not done playing! Patrons of a cafe nearby finally heard her screams and rescued her from the buoy she'd been hugging. She said Moko meant no harm.

Scientists, however, are worried about the three-year old bottlenose dolphin (nature's rapist), as he has been scarred by boats and fishing hooks. They note that, of the 30 "lone" dolphins catalogued worldwide, almost half have been killed due to their interaction with humans.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Deadliest Catch: Sidewinder

A Florida fisherman said it was "kind of a fright" to learn the warhead he'd netted and carried around on his ship as a souvenir for more than a week was a live Sidewinder, air-to-air missile.

Captain Rodney Solomon, a long-line fisherman, "caught" the missile in a net off the coast of Panama City. A hole in the warhead led him to believe it had already been discharged, so he hung it over the side of his ship as a souvenir. About a week later, he casually mentioned the catch to the local fire department, who quickly took action. After securing the location and shooing-away onlookers, the fire department contacted the Air Force, who confirmed the Sidewinder missile was live and could have detonated at any time!

Fire chief, Derryl O'Neal, said such an occurrence "does happen... but it's a rare event." He recalled a similar missile "catch" some 15-16 years ago and cautioned fishermen not to haul the missiles, but to contact the proper authorities and inform them of the location.

The location at which the Capt. Solomon discovered the missile is in or near a location used for defense testing.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Trippy Bream Caught Off Britain's Coast

The sarpa salpa is a type of bream which is known to cause hallucinations if certain parts are eaten. While a delicacy in some parts of the world, two men were hospitalized in 2006 in France after eating the bream - both suffered auditory hallucinations after dining on the sarpa salpa. Indigenous to the Mediterranean and waters surrounding South Africa, only three have ever been caught in British waters... until now.

A fisherman trawling for lemon sole caught one of the gold-striped bream in his nets and saved it. Not knowing what it was, he took pictures and looked on the Web. When he discovered it was a sarpa salva, he said:

Now [that] I realize what it was and the effects it can have, perhaps I should have taken it into town to sell to some clubbers

The last time a sarpa salva was caught in British waters was 1983. Some experts believe global warming is to blame for the bream's northern appearance.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Study Finds Unknown Cache of Irrawaddy Dolphins

Thousands of rare Irrawaddy dolphins have been discovered in Bangladeshi waters, bringing the number of known Irrawaddy dolphins up considerably. However researchers note these 6000 dolphins are already endangered by fishing nets and climate changes.

Irrawaddy dolphins are related to orcas (killer whales) and grow to about 8' in length. They are found in freshwater rivers and estuaries in Asia. The largest known populations were thought to contain only a few hundred, if that. The 6000-strong population was discovered in the freshwater regions of the Sundarbans mangrove forest and the Bay of Bengal.

The study made the information known so they could push for greater fishing restrictions in and around the areas. Researchers said the discovery brings "great hope" for the species.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Dracula Fish

Researchers have discovered a species they named Danionella dracula for its bony "fangs." The Dracula fish has only been found in one Burmese stream. Scientists believe the fish lost their teeth through evolutionary process, which left the bony protrusions that have a fang-like appearance.

In captivity, the males have been observed "sparring" with their fangs, but no blood appears to be drawn. They nudge one another after opening their jaws "incredibly widely," but it appears to be more a symbolic mating ritual than actual combat. Only the males bear these tell-tale fangs.

The fish do not have actual teeth - even the males' fangs are not teeth - rather, the jawbone has developed sharp protrusions which mimic the appearance of teeth.

Since scientists did not recognize the fish as a new species immediately, they note there could be more swimming around in other bodies even now.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Pinky, the Albino Dolphin

Pinky, the Albino Dolphin

It's been a banner few months for odd-colored beasties, hasn't it?  Well, here's yet another from the inland saltwater estuary of Louisiana, Lake Calcasieu:

Pinky is an albino dolphin that was first spotted in the lake last year.  It has been photographed, and draws spectators to the lake in droves.  Pinky is the same color over his entire body, and has pinkish-red eyes.  Pinky has begun swimming away from his mother more lately, but usually stays with the pod.

At least one marine biologist said he has never seen a bottlenose dolphin of this color in all his career.  There is an endangered dolphin of another type in South America which is called the "pink dolphin," or boto, but Pinky is not of that species; Pinky is thought to be an actual albino dolphin.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Photo from The Guardian, links in body. - 2018