Mystery black fish with LEGS found swimming in Queensland

An unusual looking fish, which appears to have legs, has stumped social media after a photo of it was uploaded by the fisherman who plucked it from the water.

Michelle Garside was fishing on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, on Sunday when she caught the black species which in addition to having fins, also had legs. 

Sharing photos of her strange catch to a local Facebook group, Ms Garside asked for help from other fishermen to identify what she had caught – with many left baffled by the creature. 

At approximately 30 centimetres in size, with dark black scales, three fins and three leg-like features, it confused most who saw the photo

At approximately 30 centimetres in size, with dark black scales, three fins and three leg-like features, it confused most who saw the photo.  

The keen fisherman said she had contacted wildlife experts, but also asked for help from others on Facebook.

‘Does anybody have any idea what type of fish this is… it has feet?’ Ms Garside asked the Sunshine Coast Community Board. 

While some were scared by what was clearly swimming around them, others thought it might be a descendant of the famous Three-Eyed fish from The Simpsons.

‘Was that caught at Chernobyl?’ asked one interested local seemingly concerned for the state of the waterways.

But despite much conjecture between those having a say, the common belief among Sunshine Coast locals was that it was a frog fish.

Despite much conjecture between those having a say, the common belief among Sunshine Coast locals was that it was a frog fish

‘Frogfish, used to get a few in the trawl nets. They come in red, yellow, brown and black,’ one person said. 

‘Been confirmed by a marine tank owner that this is indeed a frogfish,’ another said.

Commonly found in New Zealand, the Pacific and parts of Australia, they are also known as Anglerfishes. 

Ms Garside said she had kept the fish alive in water while taking photos and had put it back into the canal.