A rare fish more at home in tropical waters has washed up on a beach in Great Yarmouth.
Katherine Hawkes, from Thorpe Marriott, was on a New Year's Day walk with her family when she spotted an unusual-looking creature in the sand.
Upon inspection, it became clear it was a dead sunfish - the largest bony fish in the world.
The 39-year-old, who is a keen wildlife photographer, said: "At first we thought it could be a seal pup until we got closer.
"It is really odd-looking and while it is sad it had died it was exciting to see as they are so unusual to find in this area."
While sunfish can grow three metres high and weigh more than two tonnes, this specimen was a baby measuring about 1.5m tall.
It is likely it succumbed due to a lack of food and the cold temperatures of the North Sea, according to a local marine expert.
Rob Spray, joint coordinator of Seasearch East, said: "The sunfish is not something we commonly see in the North Sea.
"Even though it was a juvenile it is quite a big fish to find in these waters and it is likely it got stranded and ran out of things to eat. It is an amazing species."
It may look terrifying, but North Sea swimmers do not have anything to fear as it mainly eats jellyfish.
Sunfish are categorised as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Its presence on a Norfolk beach could be a sign of warming oceans bringing southern species into colder waters, according to Mr Spray.
He added: "Sunfish are very rarely seen in the North Sea but as climate change worsens more species will travel to the North Sea and it will become more diverse.
"However, due to overfishing a vast majority of the biomass has been removed and there is not enough fish prey for larger species like dolphins, sunfish or bluefin tuna.
"If fishing gets under control, bigger fish could return. It is a very volatile ecosystem, some will succeed and others won't which is why we find them dead on our shores."
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