Kids find rare deep-sea 'ratfish' on Oregon coast
SEASIDE, Ore. (AP) - A rare find from the deep has the crew at the Seaside Aquarium buzzing today.
The fish is cute and bizarre at the same time, and usually lives too deep in the ocean to show up on land.
But a group of kids from Oregon City brought in a three-foot-long Spotted Ratfish over the weekend. They had found it on the southern cove area of Seaside and it was still alive.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tiffany Boothe says the spotted ratfish's technical name is 'Hydrolagus colliei,' and is named ratfish for its rat-like appearance.
It exists between southeast Alaska and Baha, California. But sometimes it is found in shallower waters off the Oregon coast.
The aquarium says sometimes fishermen bring the ratfish when they accidentally catch them.
But Boothe says it's really very rare when they wash up on the beach.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
The fish is cute and bizarre at the same time, and usually lives too deep in the ocean to show up on land.
But a group of kids from Oregon City brought in a three-foot-long Spotted Ratfish over the weekend. They had found it on the southern cove area of Seaside and it was still alive.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tiffany Boothe says the spotted ratfish's technical name is 'Hydrolagus colliei,' and is named ratfish for its rat-like appearance.
It exists between southeast Alaska and Baha, California. But sometimes it is found in shallower waters off the Oregon coast.
The aquarium says sometimes fishermen bring the ratfish when they accidentally catch them.
But Boothe says it's really very rare when they wash up on the beach.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)