Taipei

A group of divers had an unexpected encounter when they came across a massive oarfish with unique openings in its body. 

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This rare fish, believed to be a harbinger of earthquakes, was spotted near Taiwan, and a video that captured the sighting went viral on social media.

The footage, which gained widespread attention, was originally shared on Instagram by a page called Wealth.

Also read | 'Horrific': Millions of dead, rotten fish wash ashore river near Australian town

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It shows astonished divers encircling the impressive shiny silver fish off the coast of Ruifang in Taipei County. 

At one point, one of the divers even extended their hand to touch this extraordinary creature.

According to the divers, the fish measured approximately 6.5 feet in length, which, although sizable, pales in comparison to their maximum recorded size of 36 feet. 

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The Guinness Book of World Records recognises the oarfish as the longest bony fish currently known to exist.

However, the divers believed that the fish's presence was not a good sign for its well-being. 

Diving instructor Wang Cheng-Ru told Jam Press publication: "It must have been dying, so it swam into shallower waters."

Experts cited in the media suggested that the mysterious holes discovered on the fish's body were likely the result of shark bites, possibly inflicted by a cookie-cutter shark.

Additionally, the appearance of an oarfish has long been associated with the notion of earthquakes. 

These creatures are often found at depths ranging from 656 to 3,200 feet below the ocean's surface. 

According to a superstition in Japanese mythology, the oarfish emerges from the depths and rises to the surface prior to an impending earthquake.

This belief gained traction after the devastating Fukushima earthquake and tsunami in 2011. In the two years leading up to the catastrophe, numerous oarfish washed ashore which fueled the speculation of an earthquake.

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