Fanged creature found on Texas beach after Hurricane Harvey

Fanged creature found on Texas beach after Hurricane Harvey

A mysterious fanged sea creature that washed up on a beach in Texas following Hurricane Harvey has been identified.
Preeti Desai found the decaying fish on a beach in Texas City, and asked Twitter for help.
She posted several photos with the caption: "Okay, biology twitter, what the heck is this?"
Her request was passed to biologist and eel specialist Dr Kenneth Tighe, who believes it is a fangtooth snake-eel.
He said it may also be a garden or conger eel, because "all three of these species occur off Texas and have large fang-like teeth".
Skip Twitter post by @preetalina
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Follow
Preeti Desai🌿 @preetalina
Okay, biology twitter, what the heck is this?? Found on a beach in Texas City, TX. #wildlifeid
4:50 PM - Sep 6, 2017
268 268 Replies 1,846 1,846 Retweets 4,994 4,994 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Report
End of Twitter post by @preetalina
It is thought that Hurricane Harvey, which brought strong winds and flooding to Texas, could explain why the creature was washed up.
The fangtooth snake-eel, also known as a "tusky" eel, is usually found in waters between 30 and 90 metres deep in the western Atlantic ocean.
Ms Desai, who was at the beach assessing the damage from the hurricane, told the BBC: "It was completely unexpected, it's not something that you'd typically see on a beach. I thought it could be something from the deep sea that might have washed on to shore."
More of our most popular stories:
Australia rugby team in same-sex marriage spat
Serena William shares pictures of new baby
WATCH: Chainsaw nun takes internet by storm
"My main reaction was curiosity, to figure out what the heck it was," she added.
Ms Desai said she posted the images on Twitter because she knows a lot of scientists use it, and a friend soon responded and contacted Dr Tighe.
"I follow a lot of scientists and researchers. There's such a great community of these folks that are very helpful, especially when it comes to answering questions about the world or identifying animals and plants," she said.
She said she left the eel on the beach "to let nature take its course".