Rare sea creature washes ashore in Southern California
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — A 7-foot (215-centimeter) sea creature that washed ashore in Southern California has been identified as a hoodwinker sunfish, a recently identified rare species thought to live in the Southern Hemisphere.
The University of California, Santa Barbara, said an intern spotted the stranded fish last week at Sands Beach in the university’s Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve.
The intern alerted Jessica Nielsen, a conservation specialist at Coal Oil Point who initially thought it was a type of local sunfish and posted photos to the reserve’s Facebook page.
That drew the attention of Thomas Turner, an associate professor in UCSB’s ecology, evolution and marine biology department who examined the fish and posted photos to the iNaturalist online community.
That caught the eye of Marianne Nyegaard of Murdoch University in Australia, who identified the species in 2017 and formally named it Mola tecta but gave it the hoodwinker moniker because it had somehow escaped scientific recognition.
Related articles
- Cancer-stricken King Charles will be feeling fresh heartache after a former IRA commander confessed2024-05-21
Chinese scientist awarded for groundbreaking work in transplantation, cellular therapy
"I want to say this award is not only a great honor for me, but also an affirmation of my team, and2024-05-21- CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer, Nick Lodolo pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-ru2024-05-21
Report: Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete at Tokyo Olympics despite positive doping tests
SYDNEY (AP) — An Australian newspaper says 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo2024-05-21Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf has shocked onlookers after being spotted on the streets of Barry in Wal2024-05-21Rihanna giggles as she does an impressive British accent at her FENTY X Puma event in London
Rihanna attended the FENTY X Puma Creepy Phatty event on Wednesday in London, and while there, the s2024-05-21
atest comment