HANDLE WITH CARE: Siti and her daughter show the mystery fish.
MIRI: An angler here caught a bizarre yet to be identified fish on Sunday.
The mystery fish has a large head and is covered with sharp spines on the top and bottom of its body.
Its body gets progressively smaller towards the tail.
The fish measuring over one foot in length has two tusk-like spikes near its mouth.
Sapar Mansor, 43, from Taman Ceria, Permyjaya, caught the strange creature in the sea near Tudan.
“This is the first time in my life that I have seen this type of fish. I brought it home to my wife and informed her of the rare catch,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Sapar said he and a friend went out in a fishing boat and travelled two hours from Miri River to the sea.
They started fishing around 5am and caught many fish with their fishing rods.
After about an hour of fishing at the location many miles from Miri, he landed his surprising catch.
“My husband caught this rare species and I was surprised to see the fish,” said his wife Siti Kadariah, 35.
“When my husband brought the fish home, both my children were stunned because of its shape and uniqueness.”
She said the children have taken to calling the creature an ‘Armour Fish’ because of its sharp spines.
Siti has decided to dry the fish so that it can be preserved and kept at their home.
“It is God’s gift and I and my family will keep the fish,” she added.