Tropical giant washes up on British beach as seas grow warmer
‘It is quite a big fish to find in these waters and it is likely it got stranded and ran out of things to eat’
A HUGE sunfish has washed ashore on a beach in Norfolk, becoming the most recent of several arrivals in a phenomenon that experts have attributed to the heating up of the seas.
The fish, which is more commonly found in tropical waters, was spotted by a wildlife photographer on New Year’s Day.
The young sunfish, which washed up on North Beach in Great Yarmouth, measured about 5ft (1.5m) from the top to bottom fin. The species has been known to grow up to 13ft (4m) tall and is the largest bony fish in the world.
Dr Ben Garrod, of the University of East Anglia, said it was the fourth sunfish that had washed up on Norfolk’s beaches in the last 12 months.
He told the BBC: “We don’t know why they died and this is an ongoing research project, but it’s incredibly important as we know so little about them.
“I know they have washed up on the Norfolk coast – maybe once every 10 years – but to have four in the last 12 months is really interesting. We don’t have the evidence to say it’s related to climate change but no one’s denying the oceans are changing.”
Katherine Hawkes, 39, was on a New Year’s Day walk with her family when she spotted the creature in the sand.
She said: “At first we thought it could be a seal pup.
“It is really odd-looking and while it is sad it had died it was exciting to see as they are so unusual to find in this area.”
It is likely to have died from a lack of food and the cold temperatures of the North Sea, according to a marine expert.
Rob Spray, joint co-ordinator of Sea-search East, said: “Even though it was a juvenile it is quite a big fish to find in these waters and it is likely it got stranded and ran out of things to eat.”
Its presence on a Norfolk beach could be a sign of warming oceans bringing southern species into colder waters, according to Mr Spray. He added: “As climate change worsens more species will travel to the North Sea and it will become more diverse. Due to overfishing, a vast majority of the biomass has been removed and there is not enough fish prey for larger species like dolphins, sunfish or bluefin tuna.
“If fishing gets under control, bigger fish could return. It is a volatile ecosystem, some will succeed and others won’t, which is why we find them dead.”
Sunfish are categorised as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.