Sea creatures with fanged jaws and slithery bodies mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon

Dinosaur-like sea creatures with fanged jaws and slithery bodies have been washing ashore on Oregon beaches — and no one knows why.

Lancetfish typically live in tropical and subtropical waters, Oregon State Parks said in a May 1 Facebook post. But they can also travel as far north as the Bering Sea near Alaska.

So it was a mystery when several of these scaleless fish began appearing on beaches from Nehalem to Bandon, park officials said.

A beachgoer spotted one alive and helped it back into the water.

Another person stumbled upon a beached lancetfish on April 28 in Lincoln City and posted photos of the fish on Facebook.

“Have never seen ANYTHING like this before! From far away I thought it was a shiny rock,” Miranda Maurine wrote.

If anyone comes across a lancetfish, officials said to take photos and tag Oregon State Parks and NOAA Fisheries West Coast.

In addition to their smooth bodies and big, glaring eyes, lancetfish also have a massive dorsal fin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

And they can grow up to 7 feet long, making them one of the largest deep-sea fishes, NOAA said. They also reach depths as far as a mile below the sea’s surface.

Nehalem is about 80 miles northwest of Portland. Bandon is about 140 miles southwest of Eugene.

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