Locals were left mystified after a mysterious strange looking fish washed was washed ashore a popular Irish beach.
The exotic looking fish was spotted on Mornington Beach in Co. Meath last week by a local woman who was walking with her dog.
The interesting looking creature boasted tiger like spots as it lay lifeless on the sandy shore.
Locals were left scratching their heads trying to figure out what type of fish this sea creature actually was.
Geraldine O'Neill who captured the striking snaps of the animal put it to a local photography page and the general consensus seems to be that it is in fact a dog fish which is in fact technically a shark.
She told the Irish Mirror: "I'm a member of a photography appreciation page on Facebook and I asked for people's opinions on what type of fish it was.
"Most people said it was a Dogfish, a member of the shark family.
"One person said it's a dogfish, technically a type of shark they can grow up to about 2 feet in length and are normally found in shallow pools and rock pools at low tide and are best left alone.
"They were once served in fish and chip shops under the name of "rock salmon".
Dog fish possess a sharp spine in front of each of their two dorsal fins. The most widely known species is Squalus acanthias, called the spiny dogfish, spurdog, or skittle dog.
It is abundant along northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
