The photo shows a monster with the long snout of a crocodile, but the body of an eel. What creature is that?

With the long body of a giant arowana, but an elongated head and sharp teeth, the photo of the monster below is being shared at breakneck speed on Facebook.

Many people are confused and don’t know what this animal is?

Specifically, this strange creature washed up on a beach in Swansea (UK). According to what the photographer shared, it looks like a Frankenstein monster, assembled between the body of an eel, or a giant eel with the head of a crocodile. The photo quickly went viral because of its “fantasy” nature.

Accordingly, netizens also made many theories about this monster. Many people suspect that this is just a Photoshop product, simply because it is “too virtual”.

Others believe that this is just a giant ho fish (a ferocious fish, with a relatively long body, living commonly in many seas around the world). However, the Ho fish has sharp teeth but a rather short snout, unlike the creature in the photo.

The shape of the Hairtail fish does not match the creature in the photo.

Others believe that this is the Oarfish, famous for its ability to predict earthquakes. But like the Oarfish, the Oarfish’s snout is also short and unlike that strange monster.

Image of oarfish.

So what exactly is that creature? According to fish expert – and director of the Australian Museum of Ichthyology – Mark McGrouther, this is actually a pike eel – a nocturnal fish with all the features of that strange monster.

Pike Eel.

It’s called a fish, but it’s actually a species of eel, with the scientific name Muraenesox bagio. They live commonly in the Pacific Ocean, and often visit the bottom of estuaries and coastal waters to feed. In Vietnam, snakehead fish is a popular ingredient for delicious… braised fish dishes.

McGrouther said this eel has an elongated jaw, large, sharp teeth and some saw-like teeth on both sides of the edge. They can dive to a depth of 100m to find food.

The terrible teeth of the snakehead fish.

This animal in real life is only about 1.8 meters long and doesn’t look as terrible as it does in the picture. According to McGrouther, the shooting angle and photo quality made it even more impressive.