03:35 PM MST on Monday, July 24, 2006

By SEAN JACKS / kgw.com

A strange and rare discovery in Oregon was puzzling marine scientists Monday. A nearly six foot long King-of-the-Salmon washed up on the beach.

kgw.com/Seaside Aquarium

An aquarium worker measures King-of-the-Salmon that washed up on the beach near Seaside.

It’s a member of the Ribbonfish family normally found 1,600 below the surface of the ocean, from Alaska to Baja and along the coast of Chile. They can grow up to, and possibly exceed six feet.

Keith Chandler, of the Seaside Aquarium, says it’s the first time he’s seen one wash up on an Oregon beach in his 27 year marine science career. He says he’s not sure what kind of conditions could’ve brought the creature up this far above its normal environment.

“The name King-of-the-Salmon originated from an Indian legend which describes the fish as the ‘king’ who leads salmon back to the rivers to spawn,” said Tiffany Booth, of the Seaside Aquarium. “They’re rarely seen, but fishermen have been known to catch them both in nets and on line. The adults eat squid and juvenile rockfish.”

The fish is currently frozen at the Seaside Aquarium.