Man finds rare deep-sea monster on beach: 'Stuff of nightmares'

A man has made a rare find on a beach which he says is “the stuff of nightmares”.

Jay Beiler was walking along the beach at Glider Port in San Diego, California, on November 13 when he came across what he thought was a jellyfish.

On closer inspection he realised it was a “very unusual fish”.

“It’s the stuff of nightmares - mouth almost looked bloody!” Mr Beiler told, NBC 7 San Diego.

"I’d say it was nearly a foot long."

The fish has since been identified as a footballfish which is a type of anglerfish.

The species lives in the Pacific Ocean at depths of 2,000 to 3,300 feet, according to California Academy of Sciences.

At this depth they are not exposed to sunlight. It uses a bioluminescent light attached to its head via a stalk to draw in prey, according to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

• Sydney swimmer's close encounter with shark in 'waist-deep' water

• Man eaten by piranhas after jumping into lake to escape bees

• Friends rescue dog found swimming 'in the middle of the ocean'

It’s not known how exactly this fish made its way from the depths of the ocean to the beach.

Mr Beiler snapped a few photos of the creature which he called "fearsome".

They have since been shared on Facebook with people calling it “a mean looking fish”.

“And this is exactly why I stay away from the ocean,” one man wrote.

Others called it “scary looking” and some suggested the fish’s appearance was a “bad omen” possibly suggesting a climate event or some kind of natural disaster incoming.

Ben Frable, from Scripps Research, told NBC 7 he is not sure how the fish made it to surface but believes it could be due to underwater topography.

He added the find is a rare one and offers scientists “valuable” information on the species given to how scarcely they are seen.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.