Is the 'Algerian Gorilla Fish' picture real?

There's a strange image of what's been called an "Algerian gorilla fish" which has been making rounds online and people are confused about its authenticity.

The massive fish was allegedly captured by a man in Central Trinidad this month and the image has since gone viral with many not convinced it's an actual animal.

Instagram user @therealtarzann who has a large following (6.7m) reposted the photo of a man holding the gigantic creature that has a seal-like body but with large fins and a gorilla-like face.

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“What a great photo of this Algerian gorilla fish," the post's caption read.

"This is an adult male they usually get about 3-4 ft but this guy was eating baby whales this winter and had fully maxed out in size!”

“They lay 34 eggs on land and during mating season turn bright red to attract females! They travel in packs only in September when El Niño is at maximum velocity ..they can live up to 13 years old but if they are circumcised they can live up to 48!”

The post has over 300,000 likes and no doubt has had millions of views, but the actual origins of the photo remain unclear as the images have circulated both on Facebook and Twitter too.

Many are unconvinced that the creature is really and believe it to be a product of AI or Photoshop.

One Twitter user wrote: “Thats an Algeria Gorilla Fish. They usually reside in the nearby rivers’ beds during the warmer climates to mate. This is the first photograph I’ve seen of one this big as they’re usually 3-4ft long. Must be from the climate shifts. Also, I just made this s*** up.”

"We went right to Google cause I was like nah we dont think this is real," another person said on Instagram.

Someone else added: "How come this is the only picture of this fish? No Google images of any gorilla fish."

Though some saw the funny side to the edited image.

So all in all, it's clear that the "Algerian Gorilla Fish" isn't real and is an altered image.

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