SAWFISH are mysteriously beaching themselves in the USA and scientists are trying to work out why.
Multiple dead smalltooth sawfish have been found on beaches in Florida.
A few of the creatures have been spotted spinning around in circles in the water before their deaths.
This unusual behavior in the shallow water is thought to be what’s causing them to beach themselves.
What leads the sawfish to spin this way is still a mystery.
So far 32 sawfish are thought to have met this end in Florida since October last year, according to Live Science.
“There have been over a hundred unique reports of affected sawfish and now over 30 confirmed mortalities,” Adam Brame, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, told Live Science.
Footage has now appeared on social media showing the spinning and distressed fish.
The quality of the seawater has now been checked and something unusual was found.
It’s possible that an increase in single-celled algae called Dinoflagellates could be causing the sawfish distress.
This algae can produce neurotoxins, which can be dangerous for sea creatures.
It is possible that the sawfish are having a neurological response to the algae, according to CBS.
Researchers are continuing to investigate by taking water and tissue samples from the fish.
Smalltooth sawfish can grow up to 18 feet long and are known for their long spikey snouts that look like saws.
Largetooth sawfish look even more terrifying and can grow to around 23 feet.
They’re usually found in tropical areas in the Atlantic Ocean.
Some smalltooth sawfish have survived in captivity for over 25 years.
Longest living animals
Here's a list of creatures that were around for a very long time...
- The oldest living human on record was Jeanne Louise Calment who lived to the ripe old age of 122 years and 164 days
- A spider named Number 16 lived until it was 43 years old
- The oldest cat on record lived to 38 years old
- The longest living gold fish was won at a funfair and lived until 43 years old
- Bowhead whales are famed for being the longest living mammal species on Earth with the oldest one living to 211 years old
- A few years ago fishermen caught a Greenland shark which was around 512 years old