Grim-looking fang-toothed giant eel is discovered washed up on a tourist beach in Brazil.
The fish’s powerful, muscular jet-black body is topped by a sleek bullet head with a jaw lined with needle-sharp pointed teeth.
Experts identified the beast as a deep sea Synaphobranchus or ‘cutthroat’ eel. An ambush predator from the bottom of the ocean.
Its large, bulging eyes are believed to have been caused by a deadly change in internal body pressure when the fish was brought to the surface.
Local media reports that the eel was found washed up on Farol Velho beach in Salinas, Para State, on 29th January.
Expert biologist Luciano Montag identified the beast as a member of the Synaphobranchus family.
He said: “The appearance is not very common. Therefore, it is not very common in tide pools.
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“But they do not cause danger either. Unlike moray eels, they are from deep waters.”
He added: “The animal, as you can see in the video, has very powerful teeth, as they are predators.
“Therefore, it can bite, but it has no venom. It is not very common to see this type of dead fish, as they live in holes or among rocks, it is not very common to see them.
“They are very important in the coastal environment, as they are predators. The cause of death, in this case, appears to have been natural.”
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Story By: Marija Stojkoska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Central European News
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