A rare, prehistoric-looking fish has been spotted off the British coast for the first time in 20 years.
Diver Charles Hood was swimming with blue sharks when he came eyeball to eyeball with the wreckfish.
The species normally stays in deep waters.
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But Charles saw it just a few miles offshore.
Nature experts feel it could be an indication of changing climate.
It happened off Lamorna, near Penzance, Cornwall.
It is the latest in a series of exotic animals to appear there this year including locusts, praying mantises and bizarre looking sea slugs.
Mr Hood was shocked to see the fish.
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“They are rare,” he told What’s The Jam.
“They are usually found in deep water, hence their name.
“Deep sea anglers sometimes haul them up well offshore – but not at all frequently.
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“To see one mid water or near the surface is very unusual.
“I’ve been filming various sharks in Cornish waters for over 20 years and this is the only time I’ve ever seen one.”
A spokesperson for Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: “It’s very rare for a person to have an encounter like this.
“Most people will never see one of these fish as they don’t come close to shore, preferring deep waters.
“The prehistoric looking species can live for up to 100 years and can grow to around seven-feet long.
“It’s amazing what’s happening around Cornwall’s coast and just how much there is to understand and to protect.”
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