A "super rare" creature has been discovered off the Australian coast. Scuba divers, Catherine and Michelle made the discovery while swimming in the Coral Sea Marine Park off the coast of Australia. The beautiful photo of the Leopard Toby Puffer, adorned with a pattern resembling that of a leopard, was shared by Master Reef Guides, which is affiliated with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
"SUPER RARE SIGHTING - Meet the little fish known as a Leopard Toby, reads the caption of the video in which a tiny fish, with leopard-like spots can be seen swimming in the waters.
Catherine, a member of Master Reef Guides expressed her astonishment on making the discover and wrote, "After over 1100 dives, she had never seen a fish like this."
After the underwater encounter, both Catherine and Michelle did extensive research and consultations with experts to identify this rare find.
"Once back on the boat Catherine and Michelle headed to the books, consulted with other experts and discovered this Leopard Toby might be the first recorded sighting in the Coral Sea," wrote Master Reef Guides on its Instagram post.
After intense research and consultations it was revealed that this might be the first recorded sighting of the Leopard Toby in the Coral Sea.
"It's not every day you see an animal so out of the ordinary that you pause on your dive. The ocean has the power to surprise us every day, it's full of wonderful animals we have yet to discover. It's an environment that I am lucky to spend my time in getting these little surprises" said diver Catherine Logan.