Aw sharks .... it's just a fish? Hong Kong police called in after mistaken sighting of two-metre-long creature in Tuen Mun River
Park-goers in Hong Kong called police to Tuen Mun River in the northern part of the city on Monday morning after mistaking a big fish in the waters for a shark.
The fish - under two metres in length - was first spotted in the river off Tuen Mun Park at 8.10am, according to police.
A police source said the caller saw a fin protruding from the water and thought it was a shark. The fish had swum away when officers arrived.
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Officers later spotted what was suspected to be the same fish in waters off Lung Mun Oasis housing estate. The two sites are about 1km apart.
The source said the animal was confirmed not to be a shark.
"It is possible that it was chasing smaller prey, got lost and entered the river by mistake," the source added.
Judging from online photos taken by residents, Ichthyological Society chairman and founder Chong Dee-hwa suggested that the fish could be an ocean sunfish, or common mola. It is one of the two heaviest bony fish in the world and often appear in deep waters.
According to the force, the creature eventually swam out to sea.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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