Ray of light shines on fish mystery

A bizarre find on Ninety Mile Beach is not a two-tailed sea monster but an electric ray that choked to death on an over-sized meal.

Kaitaia resident Roger Whitefield was taking his daughter on her first drive up the beach to Cape Reinga on Monday when they spotted a peculiar lump just north of The Bluff.

On closer inspection it was no less peculiar - the dead creature was round like a frisbee, about a metre across, and weighed a hefty 40kg.

"We couldn't work out what we were seeing ... We thought it was some sort of leviathan. We couldn't work out which way it went, what way was up, or what were it eyes and what were just air holes," Mr Whitefield said.

The most unusual aspect of the creature, however, was that it appeared to have a tail at each end. The keen photographer posted the photo to his Facebook page to see if anyone could identify his find, and the feedback "went ballistic". So far Mr Whitefield has fielded suggestions and fishy comments from around New Zealand, Australia, the US, Canada and Israel.

The consensus is that the creature is a member of the torpedo family, a type of electric ray, which got a little too greedy and choked on its last meal, possibly a kahawai.

Phil McGowan, of Kelly Tarlton's in Auckland, believed it was a New Zealand torpedo or Torpedo fairchildi .

Known as mata or whai repo in Maori, the rays grow up to a metre long and lurk on the sea bottom waiting for prey to pass by. The photo shows its underside, where its mouth is.

Northland marine expert Wade Doak confirmed the mystery creature was a type of electric ray, and it was not the first time he had seen a fish choke to death on an over-size meal. Snapper and john dory came to mind as candidates for the fatal dinner.

Rays usually fed on shellfish and sea biscuits but were opportunistic and would try whatever came their way, he said.

Mr Whitefield was not disappointed his find was not a two-tailed monster of the deep, saying it was still "totally fascinating".

He is calling it "the last supper".