Irish Fisherman Stunned After Hauling Up 'Dinosaur Fish' Thought to Be Extinct

An Irish fisherman got the shock of a lifetime when he pulled a living fossil from the deep; a monster fish that hadn't been seen in local waters for generations.

Photo of fisherman Declan O'Sullivan on his boat, the Trinity, holding a massive 6-foot-long Atlantic sturgeon fish, caught off County Kerry, Ireland. This prehistoric species, prized for caviar, was thought to be regionally extinct

Declan O'Sullivan, skipper of the Portmagee trawler the Trinity, was fishing off the coast of Valentia Island in County Kerry when his net grew heavy with an incredible catch. As he hauled it in, he was met with a sight that seemed to belong in a different era: a massive, six-foot-long sturgeon.

The fish was a rugged, ancient-looking creature, unlike anything he had caught before. Unsure of exactly what he had discovered, O'Sullivan did what any modern fisherman would do: he snapped pictures and sent them to an expert.

The expert, marine biologist Kevin Flannery, could hardly believe his eyes. "I nearly fell over," Flannery said. "To see this fossil species, this dinosaur fish, back in our waters is incredible."

This was no ordinary fish. It was a caviar sturgeon, a species that has survived for over 100 million years, making it a true prehistoric giant. But despite outlasting the dinosaurs, it couldn't survive the pressure of human appetite. Prized for its valuable caviar and associated with royalty, the sturgeon was fished to extinction in Irish waters decades ago. The last confirmed catch was all the way back in 1987.

For a species that has called these waters home for millennia, its recent absence has been a tragic and silent ending. The return of this lone, magnificent animal and a second one O'Sullivan swears he saw swimming just out of reach, is like a ghost from the deep returning to say hello.

It signals something conservationists have been hoping for: that it might be time for a comeback. The Irish Wildlife Trust is already pushing for a concerted effort to reintroduce species driven to extinction, naming the sturgeon as a top priority.

This rediscovery is a powerful reminder that nature is resilient. As conservationist Adrian Gahan noted, "Nature doesn't recognise borders. And neither should our conservation efforts... lost species can return."

So the next time you're looking out at the wild waters off the Irish coast, remember—you might just be gazing into a world where dinosaurs still swim.

Comments

The Best Fish Feed in Nigeria for Catfish: Why Quality Matters

A few months ago, I visited a fish farm run by an ambitious aquapreneur who had high hopes for his homemade fish feed. His pond was large, his vision clear: this feed would cut costs, boost growth, and drive profitability. But within a week, disaster struck. Fish floated belly-up. Growth stalled. The numbers didn’t add up. The problem wasn’t the fish. It was the feed. The catfish were growing exactly as they were fed: poorly. Just as fish can’t flourish on empty calories, a farm can’t succeed on subpar feed. The right nutrition makes the difference between a thriving business and a sinking investment. In Nigeria’s competitive catfish farming industry, choosing the best feed isn’t just about cost, it’s about protein content, digestibility, floatability, and growth performance. The wrong feed leads to stunted growth, higher mortality, and lost profits. The right one maximizes yield, health, and market value. In this article, we’ll explore:...

Mysterious Giant Fish Baffles Scientists in California: Rare Hoodwinker Sunfish Washes Ashore

A rare marine creature that evaded scientific detection until recently has mysteriously washed ashore on a California beach, creating excitement among marine biologists and beachgoers alike. The enormous, otherworldly fish identified as the elusive hoodwinker sunfish ( Mola tecta ) was discovered at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay, approximately 70 miles north of San Francisco. Eyewitness Discovery "Like Suddenly You're on Another Planet" Stefan Kiesbye, a novelist and English professor at Sonoma State University, made the astonishing discovery while visiting the beach. Initially mistaking the creature for a dead sea lion, Kiesbye approached and found himself face-to-face with what he described as "so enormous and so weird and gorgeous". "It's sad that it's been washed to shore," Kiesbye told reporters, "but it was so enormous and so weird and gorgeous. It's like suddenly you're on another planet". The discovery sent park of...

The 5 Overlooked Pathways of Salmonella from Pet Food to Your Family

A Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) investigation into a recent Salmonella outbreak provides a concrete example of a recurring public health issue: laboratory-confirmed illnesses in humans traced back to contaminated dog food and treats. The data shows 31 confirmed human infections across four provinces, with seven hospitalizations. The PHAC explicitly notes that "many people who became sick in this outbreak investigation reported handling dog food and treats prior to becoming ill." This is not a theoretical risk. The regulatory context is critical: the PHAC states, "In Canada, pet food products are not subject to the same regulations and testing as food intended for humans." This means the responsibility for managing this documented risk falls to the pet owner. The standard advice is to wash your hands. This is necessary, but insufficient. Contamination operates through environmental pathways that hand washing alone cannot address. Based on public health guid...

Trojanpost