TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission concluded after examining an eye found on a south Florida beach this week that it most likely came from a swordfish.
FWC researchers will use genetic testing to confirm the identification.
John Herrera, curator of collections at the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, said, "Experts on site and remotely have viewed and analyzed the eye, and based on its color, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it, we believe the eye came from a swordfish. Based on straight-line cuts visible around the eye, we believe it was removed by a fisherman and discarded."
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A citizen found the eye, which is approximately the size of a softball, on Pompano Beach on Wednesday.
Later that day, FWC staff received the eye to begin testing.
The FWC said swordfish are commonly fished in the Florida Straits offshore of south Florida during this time of year.
Swordfish can be found as far down as 2,000 feet or at the water's surface, the FWC said. Swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean can reach a maximum size of over 1,100 pounds according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Swordfish feed on a variety of fish and invertebrates.
First Coast News