Rare 100-pound fish ‘the size of my toddler’ washes up on Oregon beach
A colorful fish the size of a 4-year-old child washed up on the Oregon beach — and it’s not supposed to be there.
An opah fish, also known as a moonfish, was discovered on Sunset Beach in Oregon, Seaside Aquarium officials said Wednesday on Facebook.
The fish was massive, weighing in at 100 pounds and 3 1/2 feet long, the aquarium said. That’s the same size as a typical 4 1/2-year-old kid, according to Baby Center.
“This thing is literally the size of my toddler,” someone said in the comments.
When aquarium workers found out about the fish, they were excited because opah are very rare on the Oregon Coast. They’re usually found in tropical and temperate waters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Opah are unusual fish with a round body, silvery and red with white spots, and large eyes that are surrounded by gold, NOAA said.
In some cases, the fish can grow up to 600 pounds, according to the aquarium. NOAA experts don’t know how many there are in the ocean.
People in Oregon haven’t reported seeing one since 2009 when a fisherman reeled in a 97-pound opah off the Columbia River, according to The Oregonian.
“After seeing photographs of the unusual fish they quickly responded and recovered the fish,” the aquarium said. “It created quite the stir at the aquarium where folks were encouraged to come take a look at this beautiful and odd looking fish.”
Some people were concerned that the Opah’s appearance in Oregon could be an indication that the ocean is getting hotter from global warming.
“Isn’t that something?” one person said. “Just another sign of climate change.”
NOAA experts said Opah can go where the ocean conditions are changing.
“Opah are capable of traveling long distances,” NOAA said. “Often in response to changing oceanic conditions such as temperature.”
Because opah are so rare in Oregon, the aquarium is going to make its discovery a learning opportunity. The fish will be frozen until the school year begins. Then a group of children will dissect it.
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