Death of rare 3.7-metre ‘doomsday’ fish shrouded in mystery
Scientists were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about this very rare marine creature.
The discovery of a rarely seen giant oarfish by kayakers has sparked an investigation into what killed it. For centuries, superstitions have linked the species to natural disasters like earthquakes, leading to its unfortunate moniker — the doomsday fish.
There has been speculation the deep sea species could be brought to the surface during underwater tremors, although this has not been scientifically proven.
Associations between oarfish and earthquakes date back to 17th Century Japan, and were renewed in 2011 after 20 were spotted ahead of the earthquake that sparked the Fukushima nuclear disaster. And two days after the most recent oarfish’s discovery at La Jolla Cove, off San Diego, California, a 4.4 metre magnitude earthquake was detected in Los Angeles.
What killed the giant oarfish?
The body of the short-crested oarfish (regalecus russellii) was taken to UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where scientists performed a necropsy on its body to try and determine its cause of death.
Pictures supplied to Yahoo News highlight the creature’s massive size — it measured in at 3.7 metres long, and weighed in 33kg. Dozens of experts can be seen standing alongside its silver body before it was sliced open.
Unfortunately their investigation has sparked more questions than it answered.
“The fish was in good condition and it is not clear why the fish died. Scientists speculate that it could have washed up due to injury, illness, or disorientation. La Jolla Shores is situated next to two underwater canyons that funnel deep water close to shore,” the Institution said in a statement.
Samples from the fish will be used as part of ongoing research into the little-known biology of this deep-sea fish.
“Although they are more common in other parts of the world, this is around the 20th oarfish recorded in California since 1901,” Ben Frable from Scripps said.
“Rare encounters like this provide an amazing opportunity to learn more about this species and how it lives. We are fortunate to have a large community of researchers and world-class collectors that mobilised quickly to examine and preserve this fish.”
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