In July 2020, a deep-sea oarfish was found washed up on a beach in Mexico. The 20 feet specimen was discovered in the port city of Pichilingue inside La Paz Bay in Baja California Sur.
Another oarfish was also found the previous month, dying on a beach in Cozumel, an island in the Caribbean Sea about 100 miles south of La Paz.
The two brothers who spotted the struggling strange-looking sea creature could revive the juvenile fish and release it.
They watched it swim away, but it might not survive after all. In 2012, a smaller oarfish was stranded in Cabo San Lucas and died moments later.
Adult oarfish can measure at 30 feet long or more and prefer the temperate water of tropical climate at depths of more than 3,000 feet.
The shallowest they usually go is at around 600 feet underwater. Despite the length, oarfish lacks significant body mass, which helps it glide easily at depths of no currents.
In the unfortunate event that they venture too high, the weightlessness renders their chance of diving back and surviving unlikely.
10 /10 Longest Body Fish
Scientifically known as the Regalecus glesne, this member of the Regalecidae family is a strange-looking creature. It is the longest bony fish in the sea.
The origin of the oarfish name is not clearly understood, but it might have been derived from an oar-shaped body. Some people refer to it as ribbonfish or the king of herrings.
Although oarfish are deep-sea dwellers, sighting is not that uncommon. Thanks to their bizarre appearance, oarfish have spawned plenty of sea monster myths among ancient fishers.
9 /10 Wander For Food
They are aquatic species found mainly in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Although they glide at around 600 feet underwater most of the time, they have been known to dive down to 3,000 feet.
As strange as its appearance, oarfish may occasionally make an ascent to just 20 feet shallow.
The most plausible explanation is that they travel up above their comfort zone in search of food. Much like any other deep-sea creature, the exact population is unknown.