A group of divers had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a giant oarfish, a rare and elusive deep-sea creature that is often associated with myths and legends. The fish, which measured around 6-and-a-half feet long, was seen off the coast of Ruifang in Taiwan and a video of the sighting has gone viral online.
What is an oarfish?
An oarfish is a long, ribbon-like fish that belongs to the family Regalecidae. It is considered the longest bony fish alive in modern times by the Guinness Book of World Records, with some specimens reaching up to 36 feet in length. It has a shiny silver body, a red dorsal fin that runs along its entire length, and a small mouth with no teeth.
Oarfish are rarely seen by humans, as they usually inhabit the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones of the ocean, between 650 feet and 3,300 feet deep. They feed on plankton, crustaceans, squid, and small fish. They have no known predators, except for humans who occasionally catch them in nets or on hooks.
Why is the oarfish called the earthquake fish?
Oarfish have a reputation as harbingers of doom, especially in Japan and Taiwan, where they are known as ryugu no tsukai or huan yu respectively. These names mean "messenger from the sea god's palace" or "dragon fish", implying a connection to the mythical dragon king who rules over the oceans.
According to folklore, oarfish can sense seismic activity and rise to the surface before an earthquake strikes. This belief stems from several incidents where oarfish were found washed ashore or caught near the coast prior to major earthquakes, such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan and the 2004 Sumatra earthquake in Indonesia.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim, and most experts agree that oarfish sightings are coincidental and unrelated to tectonic movements. Some possible explanations for why oarfish come to shallow waters include storms, currents, illness, injury, or death.
What happened to the oarfish in Taiwan?
The oarfish that was spotted by the divers in Taiwan was not a healthy specimen. It had two large holes on its body, which were likely caused by a cookiecutter shark or cigar shark. This is a small but vicious shark that uses its circular jaws to bite out chunks of flesh from larger animals.
The divers speculated that the oarfish must have been dying or injured, so it swam into shallower waters where it was more vulnerable to predators. They also noticed that the fish was not very responsive and did not try to escape when they approached it.
The video of the encounter was shared on Instagram by a page called Wealth, where it has received over 2 million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers expressed awe and curiosity about the rare fish, while others recalled the legend of the earthquake fish and wondered if it was a bad omen.
What are some other interesting facts about oarfish?
- Oarfish are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs that hatch outside their bodies. A single female can produce up to 6 million eggs at a time.
- Oarfish have no scales, but instead have a layer of guanine crystals that give them their metallic sheen.
- Oarfish can swim vertically as well as horizontally, using their dorsal fin as a propeller.
- Oarfish have been mistaken for sea serpents or mermaids by sailors and fishermen for centuries. Some famous examples include the Loch Ness Monster, the Gloucester Sea Serpent, and the Colossal Sea Serpent.
- Oarfish are also known as king of herrings, streamer fish, ribbon fish, or regalecids.
Source:
(1) Divers spot rare gigantic oarfish with shark bites off Taiwan coast .... https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/divers-spot-rare-gigantic-oarfish-with-shark-bites-off-taiwan-coast-viral-video-10964441.html.
(2) Watch: Divers Spot Extremely Rare 'Earthquake Fish' With ... - News18. https://www.news18.com/viral/watch-divers-spot-extremely-rare-earthquake-fish-with-mysterious-wounds-8343325.html.
(3) Moment divers spot creepy ‘harbinger of doom’ fish covered in shark bites. https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/1791399/divers-harbinger-doom-fish-shark-bites-taiwan.
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