American fishermen Justin Jordan and Terrell Maguire recently captured a rarely seen jet-black river beast in southeastern Texas. Speak with news weekJordan, a Texas fishing guide, said the creature they caught was a “very rare” melanic crocodile. He said the fish was about 5 feet long, although he added that the species has been known to reach “huge lengths.”
Jordan shared several photos on social media of the jet-black creature frolicking in the water. “Well…Terrell and I found out yesterday that melanic gar exists…” he wrote in the post’s caption.
Check out the photos of the rare creature below:
The photos show the “scary” creature with its mouth open and a row of large white teeth. Since being shared, images of his bizarre appearance have baffled social media users. While some called the beast “frightening”, others described it as an “alien creature”. “TERRIBLE,” wrote the third.
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Meanwhile, according to news weekAlligator gars are the largest of the gar fish species. They live only in North and Central America and are known for their large size. The giant fish are rare and endangered and usually dark green or olive colored.
The ones that are all black, like this one, are even rarer, the media outlet reported. Not much is known about this black species. Scientists have also been unable to monitor their populations, or document their abundance in the Texas River.
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The species are harmless to humans, but due to their large size, they can fight if caught. Their preferred habitat consists of large, slow rivers, which are often restructured or dredged.
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