Rarely seen ‘shape-shifting’ whalefish spotted off the coast of California

An elusive “shape-shifting” whalefish has been spotted off the coast of California in a rare sighting of the unique deep-sea creature.

A bright orange, female whalefish was filmed gliding through the water by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBAR) said on Twitter.

A clip of the unique fish shared by the institute showed it shifting through the water in the dark depths of the ocean.