Divers exploring the waters off the coast of Taiwan have captured rare footage of a giant oarfish on camera. The creature, which measured approximately 10 feet in length, was seen swimming gracefully through the deep waters. Oarfish are known for their elusiveness and are rarely spotted, making this video a special find for marine enthusiasts. These fish, often referred to as the “king of herrings”, have long, slender bodies and can reach lengths of up to 36 feet. This sighting serves as a reminder of the mysteries that still lie beneath the ocean’s surface..
A group of divers encountered a rare giant oarfish off the coast of Taiwan.
The viral video, originally published by diving instructor Wang Cheng-Ru in June, shows the group coming upon the deep-sea fish in shallow water off the coast of the Ruifang District on the northeast corner of the island.
Footage of a giant oarfish is rare, because they usually are found 200 to 1,000 feet below the surface.
Watch the video above to see the oarfish encountered by the group.
Sightings of the glittering silver on its body are a sign of an impending disaster, according to legend. But the video shows that this oarfish appear to be wounded.
“Many amazing animals can be found off Taiwan’s northeast coast … but it was my first encounter with a giant oarfish,” Cheng-Ru told Newsweek.
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What is a giant oarfish?
The giant oarfish is a deep-sea dweller that normally lives at an depth of about 700 feet but has been found as deep as 3,280 feet.
Oarfish can be found around the globe in non-Arctic waters and are characterized by their scaleless body covered in silvery guanine.
It is considered the longest bony fish in the world by Guinness World Records. In 1963, an oarfish was caught in New Jersey that was an estimated 50 feet long, and in 1885, a 600-pound specimen was caught in Maine.
The fish’s scientific name is Regalecus glesne. It earned its common name from its highly compressed and elongated body, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Are oarfish dangerous?
Though the sightings of live oarfish are rare, those who see them are in little danger.
Oarfish do not have teeth and feed on plankton through gill rakers.
While the fish may have been inspiration for the tales of sea monsters, there are no reports of encounters with oarfish resulting in harm.
Oarfish in mythology
According to Japanese folklore, oarfish sightings are an omen of an impending disaster.
The fish is called “ryugu no tsukai” – which translates to “Messenger from the Sea God’s Palace” – and was believed to be the servant of the sea god Ryūjin.
The legend says that the fish are sent from the palace to the surface to warn people of coming earthquakes. Though there were sightings of the fish ahead of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and Fukishima nuclear disaster, scientists believe the connection is spurious.
“There is no scientific evidence of a connection, so I don’t think people need to worry,” Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of ichthyology at Kagoshima University, told the New York Post. “I believe these fish tend to rise to the surface when their physical condition is poor, rising on water currents, which is why they are so often dead when they are found.”
Divers off the coast of Taiwan encountered a rare giant oarfish, a deep-sea fish that is usually found hundreds of feet below the surface. The viral video shows the group coming upon the fish in shallow water, which is an unusual sighting. The oarfish appears to be wounded, contrary to the belief that sightings of the fish are a sign of an impending disaster. Oarfish do not pose a threat to humans as they do not have teeth and feed on plankton. The fish’s sightings are considered an omen of disaster in Japanese folklore, but scientists believe the connection is spurious.
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