Strange creature shocks locals after washing up on beach

Locals of a Sunshine Coast town have been left shocked after a resident discovered a peculiar creature had washed up on the beach.

Locals of a coastal town have been left shocked by the arrival of a peculiar creature on the beach.

The strange-looking fish was spotted after washing up on Peregian Beach, on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, on Friday.

A woman shared an image of her discovery to Facebook, asking: “Anyone know what sort of fish this is?”.

Suggestions poured in from dozens of locals, many of who were stumped by what they saw.

The fish had a unique colouring of bright yellow with patches of red and smaller dots of black.

Locals of a coastal town have been left shocked by the arrival of a peculiar creature on the beach.

Some speculated the odd pattern was the result of the fish having a “skin condition”.

“Looks like it has a skin condition,” one wrote.

Others joked it shared the appearance of familiar food items.

“It’s a deep-fried batter fish,” one said, with others likening its colours to bacon and eggs, parmigiana, pizza, schnitzel, bubblegum, cooked eggs and a bao bun.

The animal was also thought to have been some kind of puffer fish or anglerfish.

The most likely answer was that it was a warty frogfish, also known as a clown frogfish.

“Warty Frog Fish looks most likely. It’s a strange looking fish, thanks for sharing,” one comment read.

Another agreed, writing: “It’s called a clown frog fish”.

According to Fishes of Australia, the animal gets its name from the fact its head, body and fins are covered in prominent wart-like protuberances.

Its colour is highly variable to match the surroundings and can range from shades of cream, pink, red, to yellow, green, brown and black, often with darker pale-bordered spots, darker patches and saddles, the museum said.

They typically live among macroalgae, sponges and soft corals.