One of the ocean’s longest fish, an oarfish, washed up on the west coast of Tasmania on Monday, reports the Guardian.These aquatic beings are often referred to as the “doomsday fish” or the “king of herrings,” and can grow up to eight metres long.These deep-sea creatures are often considered to be harbingers of danger, as their sudden appearance is thought to be a warning of looming natural disasters. They are an epipelagic species and live in mid-water depths of 150–500 metres in the open ocean and can weigh up to 400 kg.Sybil Robertson, who was walking along the beach, was the first to spot the fish, which initially appeared to be a great silver streak on the sand.She noticed a group of eagles circling the fish. She estimated the fish was at least 3 metres long.“It was fantastic,” she said, although not realising what it was. “I just knew it was something unusual and weird,” she told the Guardian. Upon posting a picture on the Citizen Scientists of Tasmania social media page, she found out it was a rare oarfish.Neville Barrett, a marine ecologist at the University of Tasmania, says it is “exceptionally unusual” to come across an oarfish as they inhabit deep ocean waters.“We’re just not out there,” Barrett said. “We’re not looking, we’re not diving, we’re not even fishing in that part of the ocean.”Oarfish are extremely rare to come across, with the first-ever recorded encounter being in 2022. Marine biologist Jorja Gilmore was leading a small group of snorkelers on the Great Barrier Reef when they came across the fish.“It was so bizarre, like something from the deep sea,” she said.Oarfish are not considered great swimmers as they have very little muscle and tend to float around, often vertically in the water, more than swim.
