Huge Mystery Fish Weighing 330 Lbs Found on Australian Beach: I've Never Seen Anything Like It'

A huge, mysterious fish, thought to weigh around 330 pounds and measuring six feet long, has washed up on a beach in Queensland, northeastern Australia.

The gruesome specimen was first spotted by husband and wife John and Riley Lindholm who were looking for seaside properties on Moore Park Beach when they came across a "big lump."

Lindholm, a chartered skipper who has spent his life around fish, said he had never seen one so big and did not know what species it belonged to.

"I've seen a lot of fish, and a lot of big fish, but I've never seen anything like it," Lindholm told ABC News. "I thought it might have been a grouper, but it just doesn't seem to fit with what other people up here have told me."

28870829_10157293478229535_6698463683165374812_n
Riley Lindholm

He said the couple posted on the beach's community Facebook group to see if anyone could help to identify the strange sea creature. Some speculated it was a cod, while others suggested it was a fish known as a tripletail.

"I've seen whales wash up on the beach but the size of this and the kind of fish it was, it took my breath away," he said.

Lindholm said the fish showed no signs of injury, making it difficult to tell how it died. He suggested it had probably reached the end of its life naturally.

"What's surprising is the fact that it is here, because there's not a lot of reef close to this beach," Lindholm told Australia's News Mail.

28660780_10157293478169535_7919243671274004214_n
Riley Lindholm

On hearing about the fish, the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) consulted with experts at the Queensland Museum in an attempt to identify the species of the fish, according to a QBFP spokesperson.

The spokesperson said it was difficult to definitively identify the fish due to the poor condition of its body, although it may well be a grouper, as some had already suggested.

"How the fish came to be washed up on the beach and its cause of death also could not be determined," the spokesperson said.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go