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A sea creature which was discovered washed up on an Angus beach on Monday has divided opinion even among experts trying to identify it.

The fearsome-looking remains of the dead beast, which is around 5ft long with a jaw full of sharp teeth, were found by a passing local on Easthaven beach, leading to much speculation about what it could be.

Suggestions ranged from everything from a pike or eel to a shark but now experts at the St Andrews Aquarium have waded in.

After examining the images, the aquarium’s Stephen McKelvie said it is most likely a conger eel or an oarfish, but staff are torn between the two possibilities as the corpse was so decomposed.

He said: “It may be an oarfish. There was a specimen found near Carnoustie a few weeks back. It could be that this oarfish was left on the beach and the mystery creature is the dissected corpse.

“The alternative idea is that it is a conger eel that has been caught and left on the beach, or has died naturally and has washed up. The shape of the jaw and pattern of the teeth are the only things to go on, because of the level of mortification.”

Although the decay makes it difficult to say for certain, Mr McKelvie said he plans to make further inquiries in the hope of finding out more.

The migrating conger eel can grow to three metres long, weigh up to 350lb and can be found all round the British Isles.

Oarfish are more rare and can grow to over 15 metres although they have been discovered on sea shores before.

David Mackland was the first to come across the beast while out on a walk along the beach with his family.

He said: “We were just walking on the beach to see what we could find and we came across this. It was pretty big.”