100-pound rare deep ocean fish washes up on Oregon beach, creating 'quite the stir'

To the shock of locals, a deep-ocean fish weighing 100 pounds washed up on an Oregon beach. 

The 3½-foot Opah, a tropical fish, was found on Sunset Beach last Wednesday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a Facebook post. 

The aquarium went to the beach to recover the unusual fish after seeing photos.

"It created quite the stir at the Aquarium where folks were encouraged to come take a look at this beautiful and odd looking fish," the aquarium wrote. 

Little is known about Opahs, because they live in the deep ocean and are usually found in tropical and temperate waters around the world, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Their unusual appearance includes a round, flat body that’s silvery gray in color. Their fins and mouth are red, and their large eyes are encircled with gold, according to the NOAA website.

Opahs can grow to more than 6 feet and weigh more than 600 pounds, though their average weight is 100 pounds. 

"They're pretty cool fish, and we don't normally see them on the shore," Keith Chandler, general manager of Seaside Aquarium, told CNN. "It was pretty exciting for locals."

Chandler said the fish was found dead, but its body is in good condition and will be placed in a freezer until the school year starts. Then, "one lucky school group" will be involved of the dissection of the fish to learn more about the species. 

According to the aquarium, the last time an Opah was found near Oregon was in 2009, 37 miles off the mouth of the Columbia River.

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Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.