Just two days before a 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook Los Angeles, paddle-boarders off the coast of California made a rare discovery: an oarfish, often referred to as the 'doomsday fish.'
This deep-sea creature has long been associated with the belief that it can predict natural disasters, adding an eerie context to its appearance before the quake.
The oarfish, discovered on August 10, was promptly taken to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for further study. Scientists at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Centre, in collaboration with researchers from California State University Fullerton, conducted a necropsy to uncover more about this enigmatic species.
Ben Frable, an ichthyologist and manager of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, was part of the team that examined the fish. He noted, "Rare encounters like this provide an amazing opportunity to learn more about this species and how it lives."
The prompt mobilization of researchers and resources allowed for a thorough examination and preservation of the fish.
The oarfish was an adult male, measuring 12.25 feet in length, 1.14 feet in depth, and weighing 74.3 pounds. Its distinctive features included a long, scaleless, ribbon-like silvery body with dark spots, and a striking red dorsal fin crest extending 2.17 feet from its head.
Despite being in good condition, the cause of the fish's death remains unknown.
Scientists continue to analyze the specimen in hopes of gaining deeper insights into the life and behavior of this mysterious deep-sea dweller.