10 Slimy Details Surrounding The Deep-Sea Oarfish, The Longest Fish On Earth

6 /10 King Of Herrings

A 600-pound fish does seem pretty heavy, but for an oarfish, the amount of weight is somewhat undermined by its length, which at 50 feet, is longer than a school bus.

But then again, a specimen that large could be an exception. The most extended confirmed individuals only reached about 35 feet long.

Another impressive feature lies atop the head, consisting of the dorsal fins’ first few and most symbolic elements.

Observed from the sides, it is as if the fish is wearing a natural crown, hence “the king of herrings” nickname.

5 /10 Attracted By Lights

Most of what we know about the oarfish has been learned from specimens accidentally caught by fishermen or washed ashore.

Sometimes they approach the surface at night as they are attracted to boat lights and end up in the fishnet.

Scientists have also learned that oarfish have a small mouth and feed mainly on plankton, crustaceans, and small squid.

They strain the prey from the water using gill rakes. Although strange in appearance and perhaps scary to humans, oarfish are thought to be a food source for larger carnivores such as sharks.

4 /10 Wavelike Motion

In 2001, a team of US Navy personnel stationed in the Bahamas filmed a live oarfish for the first time. The specimen was swimming by undulating the long dorsal fin in a wavelike motion.

Although moving, the body remained relatively straight. This type of fish locomotion is the “amiiform” mode, the same kind of movement that the bowfin makes.

However, oarfish are capable of swimming upward in a vertical position too. It is believed that they swim straight upward when searching for food.

3 /10 Solitary Lives

Oarfish eat by filtering planktons and small prey from the water as they swim with their mouths open. Preferred habitat in the dark depth of the ocean makes it difficult to make an informed calculation of their conservation status.

Even their reproductive habits are largely unknown. Oarfish have been observed spawning off the coast of Mexico between July and December.

The eggs are abandoned and left floating on the surface. Once hatched, the larvae feed on planktons until they are mature enough to eat larger animals. Adult oarfish most likely are solitary creatures.

2 /10 Mythical Creatures

Approaching fishing boats at night in a vertical swimming position with a “crowned” head, oarfish is like a member of the royal family from the ocean’s depth, welcoming humans to the water.

The combination of its body shape, appearance, behaviors, and tendency to get washed ashore after a storm makes up the perfect ingredients for sea serpent myths, which have become parts of most maritime cultures worldwide.

Some even say the mythical creatures are trying to attack people, despite being toothless and harmless.

1 /10 Earthquake Signs

According to Japanese folklore, oarfish that appear or are washed ashore from the ocean’s depths carry warnings or signs that an earthquake is about to happen.

Oarfish made headlines after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which eventually caused a meltdown of three nuclear reactors and killed 19,000 people.

However, there has been no correlation whatsoever between any significant earthquake since 1928 and oarfish sightings.

No researchers, professionals, and amateurs alike could confirm any association between the phenomena.