'Monster' Oarfish Found in Sweden

Swedes haven't seen 'King of Herrings' since 1879
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 13, 2010 4:45 AM CDT
'Monster' Oarfish Found in Sweden
A 12-foot giant oarfish found off Sweden's west coast is displayed at the House of the Sea aquarium.   (AP Photo/House of the Sea Acquarium, Roger Jansson)

The incredibly rare fish known as the "King of the Herrings" has washed up on a Swedish shore for the first time in 130 years. A hiker found the 12-foot giant oarfish on the country's west coast, Der Speigel reports. The mysterious creature, usually only found in water much further south, is the world's longest bony fish, and specimens up to 39 feet long have been found elsewhere. "At first, we thought it was a giant piece of plastic," the hiker said. "But then we saw an eye." (More oarfish stories.)

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