A fisherwoman got more than she bargained for when she bagged the 'catch of a lifetime' by reeling in a fish with what she describes as 'two mouths'.
Debbie Geddes was out on Lake Champlain in upstate New York when she felt the impressive catch dragging in the water.
The anglers on the boat were astonished when they noticed the fish's unusual feature so, naturally, they couldn't let the animal go without taking some snaps which soon went viral.
Debbie, from Plattsburgh, New York, told Fox News: "When this particular fish bit, it felt like I had a nice fish on. I actually commented, 'I hope it's as big as it feels'.
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"When we got it in the boat I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Two mouths. And yet this fish was healthy and thriving. Pretty amazing.
"We quickly took a few pictures and released the fish," she continued.
The picture was posted on to Facebook by Knotty Boys Fishing, a team that competes in local bass tournaments, according to Fox News. It has now been shared over 6,000 times and has more than 1,000 comments.
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Geddes explained: "I just can't believe all the attention this has received. The public's responses/theories are quite interesting, to say the least. I personally believe it was caused by a previous injury, most likely from another angler."
Naturally, the post has reeled in the interest of marine biologists with one commenting on the post saying: "Speaking as a fish biologist, clearly the isthmus below the lower jaw just got torn earlier in life (likely from some sort of angler related injury) and it healed over."
Another said: "Speaking as a biologist, I think it is a deformity. Something went awry embryologically."
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Others have claimed that it's due to pollution of the lake. Geddes' co-worker, Adam Facteau addressed the possibility, telling Fox News: "Sure, that's possible. However, Lake Champlain is also known for being a sewage dumping ground from Canada and (Vermont). Plus, many of these fish are stocked.
"Could it be? Not sure. Regardless, it's a catch of a lifetime and has a lot of public opinions."
Knotty Boys Fishing responded to some of the comments saying: "So we honestly appreciate all the discussion around the post! Regardless, of opinion... it's a cool picture, a cool story, and something interesting to talk about...
"But people please be chill and kind, and appreciate the angler and the fish!"
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Knotty Boys FishingTopics: News, Interesting, US News, Weird, Animals