Oarfish
Oarfish are pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the Regalecidae family. The Giant Oarfish is a species of enormous oarfish living in the depths of the ocean around the world and is seldom seen. Because of this shy nature, it was once thought to be a rare species. When they have been found, they were either injured or dead. Since their usual habitat is considerably deep, they have not been observed interacting with humans often, nor have many specimens been seen alive. Thus, scientists have little way of knowing about the species, or how threatened they really are. Also known as the ribbon fish, streamer fish, king of herrings, and Pacific oarfish, it is the largest living bony fish on the planet.
Giant oarfish can grow to lengths of approaching 50 feet, although the standard length of the fish is about 9.8 feet. These sea-serpent-like creatures have only been seen alive a handful of times. Oarfish are the likely source of sea serpent myths that sprung up over centuries across most maritime cultures around the world. Those fortunate enough to have seen them at the sea surface have noted their heads sticking out of the water as their remarkably long bodies slither along below. Their rare appearance on the ocean surface has made them so mysterious that Japan even includes the creature in its folklore.
Only 20 oarfish have washed up in California since 1901, according to Scripps Institute.
In the News~
August 15, 2024: [CBS News]: “The fish spotted by ocean-goers on August 10 was 12 feet long, according to the institution. The fish had already died at the time of the discovery, and was found near the shores of La Jolla Cove. Because the fish usually reside in the deep ocean, they are only spotted close to the surface if they are sick, dying or disoriented, according to the conservatory. Only 20 oarfish have washed up in California since 1901, the Scripps Institute said. The group coordinated with the NOAA Fisheries Service, California Sea Grant team members and local lifeguards to transport the fish to a NOAA facility. Scientists from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography plan to perform a necropsy to attempt to determine a cause of death. The remains of the fish will later be displayed in the Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection, which is one of the largest collections of deep-sea fish in the world, according to the institution. The fish have their alarming nickname due to a reputation as harbingers of earthquakes or other bad news, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Twenty such fish reportedly washed up on the shores of Japan right before the catastrophic 2011 earthquake. The California oarfish was indeed found just two days before a 4.4 earthquake struck the region and rattled Los Angeles.
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