An Australian man named Drew Lambert was jogging on Bondi Beach in Sydney when he encountered a strange sea creature.
The creature was nearly half a meter long, had human-like lips, and skin resembling that of a shark, Lambert told Yahoo News.
Many people were surprised and curious about this unusual sea creature. Numerous comments on social media speculated about its identity. Some suggested it was an extraterrestrial being. Others believed the smooth gray skin was that of a shark; however, this theory was quickly dismissed as it lacked the dorsal fin typical of sharks.
This is actually an Australian coffin ray.
Laetitia Hannan, a supervisor at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, later confirmed that it was indeed a “Coffin ray”, also known as the Australian stingray or Australian numbfish. The swollen appearance was a result of decomposition, causing the body to fill with gas.
“Coffin rays” belong to the genus Hypnos and the family Hypnidae. This species is endemic to Australia and is typically found in shallow coastal waters.
