What is the Doomsday Fish?
Two giant oarfish, rarely seen deep-sea creatures sometimes called “doomsday fish,” were recently spotted near the shore in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in an extremely rare sighting.
- The oarfish is commonly known as the “doomsday fish”.
- It is a deep-sea dweller that rarely comes near the surface.
- Scientific Name: Regalecus glesne
- They are deep-sea dwellers, thriving most often in the zone least explored by scientists to date: the mesopelagic zone (waters down to 1,000 meters).
- It is known for its long, ribbon-like body that enables the species to float inconspicuously throughout the water column.
- It also boasts large eyes and foreboding red spines that stick out to form a crown-like cluster.
- Oarfish is the longest bony fish known to exist in the ocean.
- They float vertically and use their reflective bodies as a type of camouflage.
- It is a filter feeder and primarily eats krill, plankton, and other small crustaceans.
- Folklore Related to Doomsday Fish some areas of the world, these creatures are seen as being harbingers of bad news, particularly disasters or destruction.
- The oarfish has the nickname of “Ryugu no tsukai,” or “sea god’s palace messenger,” in Japanese folklore.
- This myth traces back to the 17th century and says that the surfacing of the oarfish is a harbinger of future natural disasters.
