Tropical fish washes up at Keiss
Measuring over a metre tall, what is believed to be an oarfish was found washed up on Keiss Beach at the weekend, thousands of miles away from its natural habitat in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Nicknamed the “King of the Herrings”, the fishy discovery was made by Maria Aitken, of High Street, Keiss who was having a family picnic along with her grandsons Alfie Miller (3) from Milton and Callum Aitken (1) from Gills.
While enjoying a stroll, Mrs Aitken said that they came across the fish – the likes of which none of them had seen before in their lives.
“It must have just washed up on to the beach after the recent storms but there was not a mark on the fish,” she said.
“It is the most beautiful looking fish and it’s not got any scales like others, instead having a skin.

“We were not sure what kind of fish it was but we took a picture of it and then when we got home we looked on the internet for what it might be.
“My grandson Alfie was absolutely delighted with the discovery and was very interested in it as he had never seen a fish like that before.”
The oarfish they are believed to have found is relatively small in contrast to how long the species can grow.
The Guinness Book of World Records calls the breed the longest bony fish in the world, growing up to 17 feet. They are found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet are rarely ever seen. They are most commonly spotted after being beached during wild storms but rarely venture to the surface unless sick or injured.
Mrs Aitken said she planned to get into contact with a marine agency and local fishermen to find out more about the fish and how it came to be washed up in Caithness.