© ViralPressFishermen were stunned to discover the huge Moonfish
Delighted fishermen say they couldn't believe their luck after discovering a rare deep-sea Moonfish floating after an earthquake.
But they have been warned that the huge discovery could be a sign of bad luck.
They stumbled on the huge fish, which was at the surface of the ocean, after a powerful magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the Philippines.
The giant pink fish was found by fishermen in Eastern Samar.
Hours earlier the earthquake had happened hundreds of miles away in Masbate province on August 18.
Fisherman Archie Balibalos said he saw the large creature floating slowly, so he asked his friend Ranilo Ebron to help catch it using a hook and line.
When the 65kg fish was enclosed in the net, they dragged it to the beach where several others joined them to carry it.
The delighted fisherman, however, worried that the rarely-seen fish could be a sign of tragedy.
© ViralPressThe giant Moonfish was found on the surface of the ocean following a 6.6 magnitude earthquake
The fishermen with the giant catch sold the fish at the local market at 200 pesos per kg - just under £4.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Juan Albaladejo said there was a strong possibility that earthquake shockwaves spooked the fish causing it to surface in shallow waters.
Albaladejo said: "This was quite a revelation, seeing this magnificent fish.
"We know that it is quite abundant in our eastern seaboard, usually schooling with highly migratory tuna species but rarely seen."
The Moonfish, or Opah, is a deep-water species usually found 500 meters below the ocean's surface.
R.C.