Huge Eyeball Most Likely Came From Swordfish

A grapefruit-sized eyeball that washed up on a beach in the US most likely came from a swordfish, wildlife experts have said.

Scientists had been puzzled by the bright blue object, which was found by local man Gino Covacci on Pompano Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale, last Wednesday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they based their conclusion on the eyeball's colour, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it.

Genetic testing will be done to confirm the identification, but wildlife officials say swordfish are commonly fished at this time of year in the Florida Straits.

Mr Covacci told Florida newspaper Sun Sentinel he kicked the strange object along the beach when he first saw it, until he realised what it was.

"It was very, very fresh," he said. "It was still bleeding when I put it in the plastic bag."

The discovery and subsequent photographs provoked a flurry of internet speculation.

Other theories said the eyeball could have been from a giant squid or a whale.