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What is this monstrous, eel-like creature that washed ashore in Australia?

A photo of a massive deep sea creature that washed up on the banks of an Australian lake has been making the rounds on social media, and most people who see the picture find themselves echoing the sentiment of Newcastle father Ethan Tipper: “What the (bleep) is that?” According to Daily Mail and 9 News Australia reports, Tipper took the image of the odd beast, which was originally discovered near Lake Macquarie at Swansea in New South Whales earlier this week by a man named Robert Tyndall, and posted it online so it could be identified. Descriptions of the creature range from a cross between a dolphin and a crocodile, to an eel-like monster, to a prehistoric-looking sea beast with razor-sharp teeth. Some suggested it was a large hairtail, some said it looked like a giant pike eel, and others thought the pic was a fake. So what just what the heck IS that thing? Mark McGrouther, ichthyology manager at the Australian Museum in Sydney, told the Daily Telegraph that the creature was indeed a pike eel. Pike eels, he noted, are often found in coastal waters and soft-bottomed estuaries, and can grow to be nearly six feet (1.8 meters) in length.

McGrouther also speculated that “the angle the photo is taken from probably makes it look more impressive than it is.” As it turns out, he was spot on, as Tyndall confirmed to reporters that the eel actually measured “about 1.4 meters” or about 4.5 feet long, even though it “definitely looks bigger” in the photo. He added that he knew that it was “some kind of eel.” Pike eels, the Australian Museum explained, have elongated bodies, long, thin jaws and large, pointed teeth. They are nocturnal feeders, typically travelling to depths of more than 100 meters (328 feet) to hunt for various types of fish and crustaceans. They are not poisonous to eat, and are often sold in the markets of southeastern Asia, according to reports. Marine biologist Dr. Julian Pepperell told the Newcastle Herald that this particular specimen of pike eel appeared to be “relatively old” and likely died after being tangled in a net, hit by a boat, or succumbing to old age. As for allegations that the photo was doctored, Tyndall laughed them off, telling the Herald that he doesn’t “known anything about computers.”