South Carolina Mysterious Sea Monster... Turns out to be a massive Atlantic Sturgeon

It could have been America’s answer to the Loch Ness Monster.

The corpse of a large, beady-eyed and scaly creature washed ashore on South Carolina’s Folly Beach, much to the shock of locals.

But a South Carolina Aquarium veterinarian identified the ‘sea monster’ as a gigantic Atlantic Sturgeon.
The species can grow to be as big as 15 feet long and 800 pounds, but are usually around 10 feet long and 300 pounds.

Their bodies are covered in bony plates called scutes rather then scales, and they have barbels on their faces that help them locate prey, characteristics which give them their bizarre appearance.

But this may be the last time residents in the area see a fish to this scale as sturgeons, which have been swimming our seas for 100 million years, are at risk. Read More