Oarfish, which resemble sea snakes and float in the water, are often seen before earthquakes.
Giant Oarfish (Regalecu sparse) live in the middle open sea (200 – 1,000 m deep) of the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They specialize in feeding on mollusks, plankton, crustaceans and squid, according to Live Science.
According to Japanese legend, oarfish are harbingers of earthquakes and their appearance signals that a quake is coming. Japanese people believe that oarfish swim up from the deep sea to warn people of an impending earthquake. This rumor made headlines in 2011 when 20 oarfish were stranded in the months before Japan experienced its worst earthquake. Although there is no evidence to prove a connection between oarfish sightings and earthquakes, in August 2024, divers found an oarfish in California, just two days before an earthquake hit the area. However, scientists believe this is a coincidence.
Oarfish are the world’s longest bony fish. Their slender bodies typically measure about 10 feet (3 meters) long, but individuals can grow to 36 feet (11 meters), about twice the height of a giraffe. “Their shape reminds many people of ocean waves,” says Russ Vetter, a biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
Oarfish have no discernible teeth, relying on water filtration to feed on small prey. “You can put your hand in their mouths without breaking the skin,” says Vetter. These unusual creatures live in the dark depths of the ocean. That’s one reason so little is known about them, and why they’re so rare.
Like many other animals in the mid-ocean, oarfish swim to the surface at night to feed before returning to deeper waters during the day. On the rare occasions they appear in shallow water, they are usually sick, dying, or caught in strong ocean currents.