The legendary “doom fish,” a rare and ominous oarfish, has returned to California, washing up on the shores of Encinitas. The nearly 10-foot-long creature was discovered by PhD candidate Alison Laferriere from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Oarfish are mysterious deep-sea creatures that can grow up to 20 feet long and are largely unstudied by scientists. These monstrous fish have sparked myths and legends for centuries and are sometimes referred to as predictors of natural disasters or earthquakes, earning them the nickname “doomsday fish.”
In 2011, the “earthquake fish” legend resurfaced after 20 oarfish washed ashore in Japan prior to a devastating tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography notes that oarfish are incredibly rare, with only 21 documented cases of them washing up on California shores since 1901.
Ben Frable, a researcher at Scripps, believes that shifts in ocean conditions and a potential increase in oarfish populations may be behind the recent sightings of these elusive creatures. Frable also mentioned that La Jolla’s shores, near two underwater canyons that funnel deep water up to shore, tend to be a hotspot for disoriented or injured deep-sea fish to wash up.
While scientists are still unsure of the exact causes behind the oarfish appearances, they see these rare encounters as an opportunity to learn more about the behavior of this species. A 2019 study from Japan found no scientific evidence linking oarfish to earthquakes, leaving the question of the doom they may or may not portend open to speculation.
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