An 18-foot-long, serpent-like beast washes up near the coast of Southern California to provide nightmare fodder for all who behold it.

The ocean coughs up some odd things on occasion. You might find a message in a bottle, a giant octopus, or a massive overgrown eel of a fish that wants to take up residence in the deepest, darkest realms of your psyche and scare the bejeezus out of you.

Fortunately, I didn't personally stumble across this very creature. Marine science teacher Jasmine Santana found the 18-foot-long oarfish while snorkeling off the coast of Catalina Island in Southern California. Rather than scream like a girl, as I would have, Santana bravely dragged the carcass toward shore where 15 people helped pull it onto dry land.

Unlike cuddly sea lions and sleek dolphins, oarfish sightings are rare. When they have been spotted, they tend to be much smaller specimens. Generally, the serpent-like fish keeps to itself thousands of feet deep in the ocean.

The now-famous fish may live on as a resident of the Catalina Island Marine Institute, unwittingly donating its body to science. If the institute keeps it, it will be buried in the sand to decompose. Then, the skeleton will be dug up and put on display. For some reason, this method is considered preferable to just hosting a giant sushi party.