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Several deep-sea fish have been mysteriously washed up on California’s beaches this year, leaving marine biologists 1．.

The latest Pacific football fish to be washed 2． in the state was spotted near Encinitas last Friday. A surfer found the strange fish dead on Swami’s Beach and alerted lifeguards, who then notified scientists. Scientist Ben Frable then collected the unusual animal for research and 3． purposes.

The fish is black, almost spherical in shape and has sharp teeth. It has a strange external body sticking out from its head with multiple branches, used to attract prey in the 4． blackness of the deep ocean.

The fish found on Swami’s Beach is a mature 5． measuring nearly 13 inches in length and weighing around 5.5 pounds.

Pacific football fish are very rarely seen considering that they are 6． found at depths of between 650 and 2,600 feet. Only 31 known fish have ever been collected 7．and it has never been seen in the wild, so scientists know very little about the species.

Despite the fact that the fish are rarely seen, three of them have been washed up on California’s beaches this year —including one that was spotted last month at Black’s Beach, north of San Diego. The three sightings this year 8． the total number of sightings on record in California, and it’s the 9． of the town among the experts working at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, which has four fish in its collection.

Despite the series of recent sightings, experts said, it’s hard to jump to any 10．about why this is happening.