Origin
In early May 2021, photos of an “amazingly rare” anglerfish known as a Pacific footballfish went viral after it was reported that the animal had washed ashore in southern California.
Davey’s Locker Sportfishing and Whale Watching, a recreational guide company based in southern California, posted the photos on May 8 and as of this writing, they had been shared more than 125,000 times.
“State park rangers and lifeguards with Crystal Cove State Park were alerted to a weird looking fish that washed ashore Friday morning from beach visitor Ben Estes who happened to notice it on the sand,” wrote the company, adding that the fish was reportedly found on May 7 at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach, California. The park subsequently shared photos of the fish to Facebook on May 10.