A rare deep-sea “Doomsday” fish was discovered off the coast of California recently. In the La Jolla Cove beach area in San Diego, a group of divers found a dead fish over three and a half meters long. The new sighting of the doomsday fish is the twentieth reported sighting of the fish off the coast of California since 1901.
So, what is known about the “doomsday” fish? This species is also known as the king of herrings, oarfish, or ribbonfish. It is the longest fish in the world, easily reaching 8-10 ft in length, but there are known cases of herring kings growing to be 30 ft long.
According to Russ Vetter, a marine biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center, the surprising nature of the oarfish gave rise to the initial idea of sea serpents. In the past, everything unknown was perceived as mysterious and mystical. The sight of a randomly caught or beached oarfish is shocking and sensational even today when countless species of “monsters” of the deep have been discovered already. Just imagine what an impression this giant toothless fish must have made in the dark ages. The researchers also note that the ribbon-like belt fish floats in the ocean, creating a bioluminescent glow. In those rare cases when it can be seen on the surface of the ocean, it is usually sick, dying, or caught in a strong current.
In traditional Japanese legend, the belt fish or doomsday fish (Regalecus glesne) is known as “ryugu no tsukai,” which literally means “messenger from the palace of the sea dragon god.” People believed that the belt fish emerged from the depths of the ocean to warn of an earthquake. Although scientists emphasize that there is no scientific basis for such statements, this myth is firmly rooted in the territory of the island states, and in 2011, it caused quite a stir when two dozen oarfish immediately washed ashore a few months before Japan was hit by the most catastrophic earthquake and the resulting tsunami that wreaked havoc on the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Coincidence? More likely, there’s something about these wonderful fish that we don’t understand yet.
The existence of the royal oarfish was also veiled in myths and legends of the Vikings. They were the ones to give it the name “herring king.” In the beliefs of Scandinavian fishermen, the huge serpent-like fish led the schools of herring through the cold waters. The king had to be spoken of with respect. The slightest insult to his majesty was supposed to make him leave the fishing grounds along with the schools, which could lead to starvation of the fish-dependant citizens.
With all this said, it’s no wonder that scuba divers got freaked out when they found a beached oarfish in California. After reporting the incident, the animal was taken for an autopsy to help researchers find out what caused its death, but it seems to require further studies.
