Mysterious 7-foot sea monster washed up on beach finally identified by scientists

A seven-foot sea giant that was “hiding in plain sight” has finally been identified after washing up on a beach, leaving locals perplexed.

This enormous fish, part of the sunfish family, became a social media sensation last week after its discovery on Gearhart Beach, Oregon. A Kiwi scientist has stepped in to identify the colossal creature after photos of the big guy went viral.

The Seaside Aquarium revealed that the 7.3-foot bluegill was spotted on June 3.

“Initially, this large, strange-looking fish caused a lot of buzz on social media and despite the storm, people flocked to the beach to see this unusual fish,” the aquarium shared on Facebook. Marianne Nyegaard of New Zealand was quick to recognize this fish as a different species from the common sunfish, or Mola mola, after recently studying it.

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“The photographs she saw indicated that it may not have been an ordinary ocean sunfish (Mola mola), but a different species that she was very familiar with, the deceptive sunfish (Mola tecta),” the aquarium added.

It was Nyegaard's research that led to the discovery and description of this new sunfish species, which she published in 2017, the Mirror reports.

Dubbed a new species “hidden in plain sight,” it was genetic sampling and eventual observation that contributed to its discovery. Initially thought to only occupy temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere, this theory would be challenged as a few have recently washed up in California and one as far north as Alaska.

Britannica says the Mola tecta, also known as the deceptive sunfish, can grow to almost eight feet long. Despite this impressive size, it is actually smaller than other members of the sunfish family, which can exceed 10 feet.

The fish is easily recognizable thanks to its ball-like shape, tough skin and small mouth equipped with beak-like teeth.