A creature, believed to believed to be a “fangtoothed” snake-eel, washed up in Texas after Hurricane Harvey and the images of it were a bit unsettling.
Twitter user Preeti Desai (@preetalina) uploaded the pictures September 6, with the caption "Okay, biology twitter, what the heck is this?" After several experts weighed in, the Smithsonian's Dr. Kenneth Tinghe nailed the specimen down as a "fangtooth snake-eel," EarthTouchNews reported. Unfortunately, this one was decomposing, giving it that zombie-like appearance.
While the animal may look like a creation from the dark and mysterious depths, the species lives in waters 30 to 90 meters deep. Thankfully, they spend most of their time hidden away, so there’s not much chance you’ll bump into one of these guys when diving.
Though the specimen that Desai discovered is half decomposed, the fangtooth snake-eel certainly wouldn't win any beauty contests even when they're alive and slithering about in the ocean. Images of the live creatures feature a ghoulish, fat eel with a nasty overbite.
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