Herring King washed up on the beach in Dunedin, New Zealand

A rare deep-sea fish stunned the locals of Dunedin. The fish was found on Aramoana Beach on Monday afternoon. It was estimated to be 3.6 m long.

The last time this creature was seen in Dunedin in 2015 - its length reached 3 meters.

It is known that this species reaches a length of more than 8 meters and is usually found hanging in an upright position.

Isaac Williams, a 32-year-old fisherman, discovered a deep-sea fish and said he had never seen anything like it.

"At first I thought it was a surfboard, but I was surprised when I saw that it was actually a giant fish. I knew it was something else, I've never seen anything like it in my life. Sea snakes and stuff come to the beach, but I've never seen anything like it. It struck me."

Williams said the fish was alive when he found it, but after unsuccessful attempts to release it back into the sea, it died.

It is assumed that the body of the fish has already been washed into the sea.