In an unusual incident, a deep-sea creature, a shimmery, sleek oarfish, was spotted in Mexico’s Baja California Sur coast this month. The rare sighting that was captured by Robert Hayes of Idaho has sparked legends of the mysterious “doomsday fish”.

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A group of people at the beach noticed the shiny fish wiggling along the coast and tried to guide it back into the water. Hayes, who was also visiting the area with his wife, began recording the live fish.

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Hayes told the Washington Post that he had never seen an oarfish before. However, he recognised the species, which is often mentioned in centuries-old folklore and is called “doomsday fish”. The sea creature has a mythical reputation of being predictors of natural disasters.

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What are oarfish?

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According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, oarfish are typically about 10 feet long, although the longest ever recorded measured 36 feet. They live in the mesopelagic region of the ocean, where light cannot reach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes the region at this depth as the “least explored ecosystem on the planet”.

Hayes told the outlet that the oarfish he filmed appeared injured and was reportedly taken to a marine biologist.

Do oarfish predict disaster?

Historians have often linked oarfish sightings with superstitions. According to Japanese folklore, the fish has been often seen as harbingers of doom and often been dubbed as “doomsday fish” and even “messengers of the Dragon Palace” in fairytales.

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The fish gained popularity in Japan with the idea that they foretold earthquakes following the 2011 earthquake. Reportedly, about 20 oarfish washed up on beaches before the disaster. However, in 2019, Japanese researchers said they found no relation between the sightings of the creatures and earthquakes.

Deep-sea creatures spottings

The recent sighting was followed by the spotting of a black seadevil anglerfish near the surface off the coast of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. The fish also lives thousands of feet underwater and is rarely seen near the surface. 

Watch | Deep-sea Anglerfish spotted on ocean's surface

Last year, an oarfish was spotted three times in California. Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, said the reason behind the sightings could be partly due to changes in ocean conditions.

(With inputs from agencies)