A mysterious fish-prawn hybrid has emerged from the murky depths of Northern Territory waters and baffled its captors.
The strange, prehistoric-like creature was found by fishermen at a 'secret spot' close to Darwin's maritime boundary with Indonesia in a sea depth stretching 300 metres.
Encased in a slimy exterior with horned spikes and bulging eyeballs, the freaky specimen was a big fright to the fishers who caught it.
Marine experts soon identified the freaky fish as an armoured sea robin, according to the NT News.
With horned skin and spiked gills, the armoured sea robin is a rare species of fish found only in deep tropical waters.
The fish uses its thickened, stiff fin rays to skulk along the bottom instead of swimming.But unlike other fish, armoured sea robins also have feet which they use to scuttle around the ocean floor.
Frightened fishermen off the Darwin coast had no idea what type of creature they had stumbled across and likened the fish to a translucent aquatic dragon.
The horned fish are known as bottom-feeders and are seldom found in waters less than 200 metres deep.
Armoured sea robins are one of 45 species in the Peristediidae family and are a rare breed.
