The carcass of a large moonfish was discovered and then recovered by firefighters on the beach near the former Ospedale al Mare on the Lido of Venice.
The report came around 3.15pm from some passers-by who had noticed the animal beached on the shoreline.
Having arrived from the local detachment, the firefighters found that it was a specimen over two and a half meters long and one and a half meters high, weighing an estimated ten quintals.
After informing various agencies, the carcass was dragged onto the beach in agreement with the local police.
The sunfish was placed in a safe, covered and cordoned off area.
Tomorrow the municipal company Veritas will transport the carcass of the fish, one of the longest-lived in the world, to a warehouse, from which it will then be made available to researchers from the University of Padua.
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