An unidentifiable 'monster fish' has washed up on the shore in Australia

The ocean is the lifeblood of the Earth, producing half of our oxygen, regulating the global climate and keeping Nemo separated from his incompetent father. It's also full of mysteries. While the ocean covers 70% of the planet, we've only explored about 5% of the sea floor. Who knows what fantastic creatures and strange phenomena lurk beneath those murky depths?

Every so often we get a glimpse of these beautiful monsters. Off the coast of Portugal, scientists discovered prehistoric frilled shark with a snake's head and 300 teeth. One Russian fisherman frequently catches underwater oddities, and shared photos of his 'mutant alien' catches. And off the coast of Queensland, Australia, an unidentifiable 'monster fish' washed up on shore.

The Land Down Under is no stranger to weird animals, from the platypus to Russell Crowe to the moth-caterpillar-worm hybrid. But this 'monster fish' was so strange, it even baffled the Australians who discovered it. The creature is 6 feet long, weighs 330 pounds, and authorities are unable to identify what it is.

Riley and John Lindholm discovered it while taking a stroll on the beach. "I've seen a lot of fish," said John. "But I've never seen anything like this. It was a big, big fish." When asked what kind it was, John speculated, "It could have been a cod, could have been a groper, and one guy I think might have nailed it when he said it was what they call a tripletail." That's a fine guess, but I'm pretty sure it's the Amphibian Man from The Shape Of Water. Hurry up and get some salt!

When contacted by reporters, The Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol said the "condition of the fish made a definitive identification difficult." However, they believe that it was a Queensland grouper, which is a "no-take species," meaning that it is against the law to catch or possess the fish. That's why Riley and John left it alone, instead of throwing it on the grill or taking it to the taxidermist to get stuffed and mounted on the wall.

The man-sized fish appears to have died of natural causes. When Riley and John returned the next day, the creature was gone. The Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol did not say if they removed it from the beach. Maybe it was removed by authorities. Maybe it was stolen by hungry bogans. Or maybe it woke up from its nap, sprouted legs and went on a murder spree throughout Queensland. Anything can happen in Australia! (But it probably was picked up by authorities.)

While these mysterious creatures look terrifying, they're also pretty fascinating. After all, we know more about outer space than the deep blue sea. It's exciting to get a glimpse of what's lurking in our own backyard. Also, now you know never to go swimming off the shore of Queensland, Australia, unless you want to run into that crazy thing.