Is disaster imminent? ‘Doomsday fish’ found off California coast bringing fears of bad tidings
Jerusalem Post:
The fish is thought to appear before a giant natural disaster. An extremely rare oarfish, commonly referred to as a “Doomsday fish” was discovered off the coast of southern California last week, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Many superstitions have been attached to the aquatic creatures throughout the globe – potentially due to their odd appearance. The large fish has exceptionally big eyes and red spines on its head.
The fish have been sighted washed up right before major earthquakes, according to CBS News. 20 oarfish were found beached just before the 2011 earthquake in Japan. Bad tidings to come or just superstition?
Despite this, the institute later updated “There have been many questions and comments about the connection between oarfish and earthquakes. While oarfish have a mythical reputation as predictors of natural disasters and earthquakes, experts have debunked this as folklore. A 2019 study found no correlation between oarfish or ribbonfish strandings and earthquakes in Japan. “But why do they wash up? According to Scripps fish expert Ben Frable, we do not know, but it’s generally thought to have to do with injury, illness, and disorientation. He noted that La Jolla Shores in situated next to two underwater canyons that funnel deep water close to shore, this may contribute to why disoriented or injured deep sea fish show up here from time to time, such as the lancetfish and footballfish from a few years back.”
The 12 foot fish, which can grow to 30 feet, is a rare sighting, according to the institute. Only 20 have washed ashore in California since 1901.
The fish species tends to dwell in the deep sea and the one discovered last week has since died. The institute told CBS News that the fish tend to only surface when they are disoriented, sick or dying and so the fish’s death was not entirely unexpected. The institute, in partnership with NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, will carry out an analysis on its body to learn more on what led to its demise.
