A bizarre creature has washed up on Bondi Beach, sparking a debate over what it is – do you know?
- A mysterious alien-like creature has washed up on the shores of Bondi Beach
- The creature had a puffy appearance with ‘human lips’ and a curled tail
- Some locals thought the strange animal might be a stingray or a shark
A strange sea creature has baffled locals after washing up on Bondi Beach, with few able to agree on what it is.
Stunned bathers have discovered the strange “alien-like” animal among the debris washed up on Sydney’s famous beach.
Drew Lambert was with a friend when they came across the puffy animal with “human lips”.
A mysterious alien-like creature has washed up on a beach in Bondi Beach and left locals stunned
The strange creature appeared to have human lips, a curled tail and shark skin
Mr Lambert posted a photo and video of the animal to a local Facebook group, hoping others would help identify it.
‘I just looked at it… what is it, does this fish have human lips on it? It looked like he was puckering up for a kiss,’ Mr Lambert told Yahoo News.
At first, Mr. Lambert thought the creature was a shark because it had a tail and skin, but he quickly dismissed that idea because it had no dorsal fin.
Coffin Ray / Australian Numbfish
Coffin Ray is also known as the Australian Numbfish (pictured)
The coffin ray is a species of electric ray endemic to Australia.
The species can produce a powerful electric shock of up to 200 volts for attack or defense.
Coffin Rays are usually found in waters less than 80 meters deep
The nocturnal animal buries itself in the sand and mud bottoms of shallow bays and estuaries
‘I was thinking [but] the mouth is on the underside. And he has gray leather-like skin like a shark. But he doesn’t have that dorsal fin at the top like a shark, so I was really confused,” he said.
Most locals thought the animal was a puffy stingray and said the curled tail and swelling of the organs occurred after it died, giving it an enlarged appearance.
“It’s Bondi, even the rays have botox,” one comment joked.
One shrewd user wrote: “He’s an Aussie jerk. They produce electricity when hit. Crazy.
Sea Life Sydney aquarium supervisor Laetitia Hannan confirmed the animal was indeed a numb fish or a coffin ray.
Ms Hannan said the numb fish, a type of elasmobranch, is known to bite off more than it can chew and may have eaten something too big for itself, which could have contributed to its engorged size.
She also confirmed that the puffy appearance was indeed due to the decomposition process that fills the animals with gas.
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