Man Stumps Internet With Pic of Weird Fish-Slug "Hybrid"
Mother Nature brims with the wonders of creation, from the rare bald eagle to the omnipresent squirrel, all of which delight and fascinate onlookers, and intrigue scientists as well.
Yet every once in awhile, Mother Nature produces something that instead makes people scratch their heads and mumble, “What the heck is that?”
Case in point: A user on the social media website Reddit posted a picture this weekend of a “fish/slug”-looking thing he found outside his workplace.
“Found this holding onto a donut outside at work,” wrote Reddit user “noodleslug.” “Looks kind of like a fish/slug. I don’t work near any bodies of water.”
I have no clue …
That said, several of those who replied to the original post suggested that it might be what’s known as an oyster toadfish.
According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, which leads and directs the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, the oyster toadfish is a fish, of course, with a “scaleless, flattened body” that “grows to about 12 inches in length.”
Sounds about right so far.
“It has an olive-brown back with dark blotches or bars, and a pale belly. Fleshy flaps or ‘whiskers’ appear on its cheeks and jaws. Big, bulging eyes rest on the top of its large, flat head. Its broad mouth is filled with strong, rounded teeth.”
OK, let’s assume this is an oyster toadfish (check out a video here). How the heck did it get near the workplace of “noodleslug,” who made it clear he doesn’t “work near any bodies of water?”
“Maybe dropped by a bird?” guessed one user.
First, it would have to be a fairly large bird to carry that critter. Second, why would it throw away its dinner? And lastly, what does the donut have to do with anything!?
It’s possible the donut was already on the ground, and the oyster toadfish simply landed on it. To me, that makes more sense than a large bird carrying both a fish and a donut — and then suddenly dropping them in the middle of nowhere.
If you have any theories about this strange find, be sure to share them in the comments section. In the meantime, anyone uh, interested in an oyster toadfish and donut for lunch?
Please share this story on Facebook and Twitter and let us know what you think about this weird find.
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