AN extremely rare fish known for eating sharks has been caught off the UK coast.
The prehistoric species usually lives hundreds of metres below the surface and can reach 100 years in age.
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The Atlantic wreckfish, also known by its Latin name Polyprion americanus, is a deep-sea predator that is almost never seen by humans.
And while juveniles occasionally drift into shallower waters, rod-caught specimens are virtually unheard of around Britain.
Owen Mates, who runs the Kayak Fishing Cornwall YouTube channel, made the remarkable catch while fishing about ten miles offshore in Falmouth Bay.
Rare catch
Owen and two of his friends were shark fishing last month when the unusual fish appeared near the surface.
“We had a chum slick out and were targeting blue sharks when this strange-looking fish started circling the boat,” Owen explained.
“At first, we had no idea what it was and then, after a few minutes, it took one of the shark baits – a mackerel flapper – on my rod.”
The experienced fisherman said he “couldn’t believe it” when he saw the large fish on the end of his line.
Measuring around 70–80 cm in length, with an estimated weight of 10–12 lbs, the fish potentially exceeds the current British rod-caught record of 11 lb 14 oz, which dates back to 2001.
After taking a few quick photos, the anglers unhooked the wreckfish and returned it safely to the sea.
“It wasn’t until we got home and checked online that we realised just how rare it was,” Owen added.
“The only record I could find was from 2001 and caught mid-Channel off Poole – nothing close to land like this.
He noted that the case could be one of the only wreckfish ever caught on a rod so close to the Cornish coast.
Shark eater
While the fisherman shared a clip of his cath online, another video shows the same species eating a shark whole.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a remote operated camera captured the moment in an area that researchers originally thought was a shipwreck.
Instead of a shipwreck, the camera came across a group of sharks “in what looked to be a feeding frenzy”.
Atlantic wreckfish
- This species can grow to up to 6.9 feet and weigh as much as 220 pounds.
- It has a large head, a prominent jaw, a stocky body, bluish-grey scales on its back with a silvery sheen on its underside, and dark brown or blackish fins.
- Juveniles can be distinguished by black blotches on their head and body.
- Adults are generally solitary while juveniles form shoals and often congregate under floating objects for protection.
- Wreckfish are opportunistic ambush predators with a large mouth that allows them to swallow prey whole.
- Their diet includes bottom-dwelling fish, squid, octopus, and crustaceans.
- They are known to be surprisingly curious and have been observed approaching human divers.
Thee predators were devouring a 2.5-metre long swordfish when a giant wreckfish swam along with a whole shark in its mouth.
In a blog post, scientists said it appeared as though the wreckfish wasn’t able to feast on the swordfish itself so it attacked one of the sharks insteade.
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