Fishermen in China got a shock when they recently spotted a mystery creature in the water.

There has been much confusion about what the animal could have been with some suggesting it may have been a dolphin or a sturgeon, the People's Daily Online reports.

The men were in waters near Zhoushan in eastern China when they spotted the creature.

What is it? Fishermen in China got a shock when they spotted a mystery creature in the water

What on earth could it be? According to a Chinese magazine, the creature could be a Beaked Whale

Pictures emerged from the Chinese media show the mysterious creature seems to have a long beak like a crocodile's and grey skin like a dolphin's.

It also appears to have two growths near the end of the beak-like mouth.

The fishermen say that they have never seen the animal before in the waters.

China's Naturalist magazine said that it looks like a beaked whale. This type of whale lives deep in the sea and is usually difficult to see.

This type of whale is notable for its elongated beak. It dives deeper than 500 metres for food.

Dr Stephen D. Simpson, a senior lecturer in Marine Biology and Global Change University of Exeter, told MailOnline: 'This looks to be a male beaked whale of the species Mesoplodon densirostris.

'The two growths are actually upward facing teeth, which, believe it or not, are used to attract females!'

The mysterious creature has gained a lot of attention online with the news story on 163.com gaining over 69,000 comments.

One user said: 'I'd like to know what happened to the fish. Did it get eaten or was it released back into the wild.'

While another user wrote: 'Maybe the fish grew up drinking Chinese baby formula'.