A group of Australian adventurers have told of the terrifying moment they encountered a “creepy” fish while camping on a remote island.
Cam Wild and his friends discovered the Black Jawfish while exploring the mudflats at night in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in the north-west of the state.
“That’s psycho. That’s the scariest looking thing I’ve ever seen. [seen]’, he says in images of the discovery shared on social media.
The video shows a man pointing the tip of a speargun at the jawfish, “not to hurt it, but to see if it bites” before the animal reacts.
The jawfish snaps at the tip of the harpoon gun and then disappears underwater.
The group recoiled in fear, with one woman saying the terrifying fish would “haunt me in my sleep tonight.”
“Can we just look and see if we can find an extra pair of underwear?” said Mr. Wild.
“Imagine almost stepping on this beast while walking across the plains of a remote island at night!” he later captioned the footage on TikTok.
Australians shocked by this black jaw fish spotted on a remote island in Western Australia
Australians were quick to share their thoughts about the terrifying encounter.
“My soul left my body for a minute,” one person said.
“I was shocked,” wrote another
“Why does everything that wants to harm me live in Australia,” said a third.
A fourth agreed: ‘Another reason to stay out of Australia’.
According to marine expert Professor Culum Brown, it is not known whether the species is harmful to humans unless provoked.
“I doubt they pose any real danger to humans unless you’re stupid enough to stick your fingers in their holes,” he said Yahoo News.
Black jawed fish have forward-facing eyes and store their eggs in their mouths. They are found in tropical waters and coral reefs.
Jawfish (pictured) have forward-facing eyes and store their eggs in their large mouths
