The head of a six-foot-long shark with razor sharp teeth washed up on a Brit beach in a decapitated state, prompting locals to theorise wildly as to what it is.
Blackpool resident Anna Cullen said she had come across the find on North Shore on Sunday (August 28) and shared a photo online of the nightmarish beast, writing simply: "Come across this yesterday washed up on the beach."
Her post sent people wild as they theorised as to what it was. Some suggested it was actually a dog fish, while others voiced their opinions that it was definitely a pike.
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Rebecca Taylor said: "It's a dog fish not a shark." However, Compo Robski disagreed, saying: "It's a pike." Others considered that it was a Tope, a slender large shark.
Sean Rusling said: "Looks like a Tope head. There is a lot of Tope around ATM." Meanwhile, Kazzi Kaz commented: "Looks like spurdog shark."
Others elicited sympathy for the remains of the creature. One commentator said; "Awwh poor thing,' while another, Jay Waight, commented: "Dead Tope pup; more than likely caught in a channel and a seagull has had a pop at it."
Stefano Mariani, PhD Professor of Marine Biodiversity Biological & Environmental Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University told LancsLive that the mysterious finding was indeed a Tope, and was fairly common around UK waters.
He said: "Based on what I can see from there, I believe the shark should be a Tope (Galeorhinus galeus), which is a fairly common species around the UK. In some parts, it is popular among anglers, with charter boats organising trips to hook these animals."
Emphasising that the species was 'not dangerous at all,' he gave some advice about what swimmers or visitors to Blackpool should do if they were lucky enough to spot one in future.
He said: "Absolutely not dangerous at all. It can reach about six foot in length, but it will mostly try to eat some pollock, whiting, mackerel, even some crabs off the bottom.
"It will avoid the presence of humans in the water. It also likes to dive deep when offshore.
"Its presence in an area is positive, as it means there are healthy fish populations for it to feed on. If, for some reason, a diver or a snorkeler should be so lucky to see one in the water, the recommendation would be to face it, move slowly, and admire its slender outline moving through the water, before it disappears into the deep…"
Tope are a species of shark that can be found across the UK which can grow to over 80 lbs in weight and over six feet in length. Such large ones are rare, however, although they do have a mouth full of sharp teeth.
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