Unusual fish caught off Israel's coast may be first of its kind documented in country

An unusual fish was caught off Israel's Mediterranean coast on Wednesday, sparking excitement among local fishermen and attracting the attention of researchers at Tel Aviv University. Fisherman Nimer Jamil al-Mukhtar caught the fish in his net near Jisr az-Zarqa, an Arab fishing village on Israel's northern Mediterranean coast. The catch surprised fishermen in the village and elsewhere in Israel, who were unfamiliar with the species.The fish has a broad, flat, silver body, long, golden, sickle-shaped fins, and a forked tail.The discovery quickly sparked curiosity among local residents, and researchers at Tel Aviv University took the specimen later that evening.Researchers initially believe the fish belongs to the pompano group, scientifically known as Trachinotus. Tests are underway to identify the exact species, determine its origin, and establish how it reached Israeli waters.Fish well known in South FloridaThe fish may be unfamiliar to Israeli fishermen, but its name is well known in South Florida, where the city of Pompano Beach is named after it.According to local legend, railroad surveyors Frank Sheen and George Butler, who had settled in the area, were surveying South Florida ahead of the construction of a railroad when they stopped for lunch.After Sheen was told that the fish they were eating was called "pompano," he marked the name on his map. It eventually became the name of the town.In…