‘Monster’ eel New Jersey photo: Reddit photo of Doug Cutler shows strange animal, possible lamprey

Photos of a strange sea animal reportedly pulled from New Jersey waters are causing a stir of theories online.

The photos show a long and thick eel-like animal covered in blood with small teeth -- something straight out of a science-fiction movie. But the New York Daily News reports this isn't science-fiction at all.

The images were first posted on Reddit , and have collected more than 1.2 million views. According to the Reddit poster, the man who caught the animal (who is pictured in one of the photos), is named Doug Cutler .

The New York Daily News has confirmed Cutler's identity.

According to the report, scientists at Outdoor magazine seem to think the creature is a very large sea lamprey, a species of parasite.

"The photo doesn't allow counting of gill openings (seven per side for sea lampreys), but based on size alone, this does appear to be a sea lamprey,” a New York Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman told the magazine.

To see more photos and read the full New York Daily News story, click here.

So what do you think it is?