Off the scales! Giant sunfish is found washed up on a deserted beach – and the creature was so big that fishermen thought it was FAKE

• A giant sunfish has been discovered off the coast of South Australia by anglers 
• Prehistoric-looking fish grows up to 4.2m in height and weigh up to 2.5 tonnes 
• Sightings of sunfish are relatively rare despite their enormous size 

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Two fishermen got the shock of their lives when they stumbled across a huge sunfish washed up on a deserted beach.

They found the creature 25km east of the River Murray mouth – a popular fishing and holiday destination in South Australia.

Supervisor Steven Jones spotted it while out with his fishing team at of Goolwa Pipico.  

The sunfish was estimated to be around 2.5m in length and weighed several hundred kilograms.

Linette Grzelak posted the image of the fish to Facebook after her partner, who was on the fishing trip, returned home. Hunter and Steven Jones are pictured 

Linette Grzelak posted the image of the fish to Facebook after her partner, who was fishing for cockles, returned home.

‘A sunfish found by my partner along the Coorong a couple [of] nights ago… I thought it was fake,’ the she said.

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‘They thought it was wood as they were driving up,’ she added.

Sunfish can grow up to 3m long, 4.2m high and weigh up to 2.5 tonnes are considered vulnerable in the wild making the find even more incredible. 

The Sunfish measured approximately 2.5m in length and weighed several hundred kilograms

Many of the experienced fishermen in the group said they had never seen a sunfish in Australia before

They are found in tropical waters around the world and are often confused for sharks due to their fin. 

The large fish is considered a delicacy in some parts of Asia including Japan, Korea and Taiwan. 

Fish collection manager Ralph Foster, from the South Australian Museum, explained why so many sunfish get washed up on the beach.

‘One of the big dangers would being hit by big boats at sea,’ he said. 

‘They often eat plastic bags thinking they are jelly fish which can kill them.’

Sunfish wash up on South Australian shores quite frequently, Mr Foster said he received reports of several every year.

‘They are actually quite common in Australian waters but they are generally further out to sea.’ 

Sunfish are found in tropical waters around the world and are often confused for sharks due to their fin (stock)

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