With its furious expression and mouth full of pointy teeth, beachgoers who stumbled across this strange sea creature were glad it was well and truly dead.

The remains of the fearsome fish were found washed up on Whitstable beach, sparking a debate about what it could be - with its finder comparing it to a piranha.

It was discovered by Linda Hodis on Friday, who posted a photo on a local Facebook group with the message: "I was down on the beach and spotted this. What is it? A piranha? Whatever it was, it's dead for sure!"

One user jokingly replied that it was "an alien for sure," while others suggested it could be monkfish.

And while one user said "it would be more fun if it was a piranha", it is unlikely, as the predatory fish - famous for their sharp teeth and powerful bite - are only found in South American waters.

The consensus seemed to be the bizarre-looking creature was, in fact, hake.

It is not the first time an unusual sight has washed up on Kent's shores.

In 2018, a dog walker encountered a mystery sea creature with rows of pointy teeth on Whitstable's West Beach.

And in March this year, dozens of dead dogfish were discovered strewn across the shingle at Herne Bay.

Then in July, huge numbers of jellyfish were found on the county's seafronts, including a species with a nasty sting.

The hot weather is thought to have led to the phenomenon.