Divers encounter bizarre, reflective silver fish
Divers encountered an enormous oarfish off the coast of Taiwan. The fish has holes which are believed to be from a shark assault.
Cody Godwin, Associated Press
A gaggle of divers encountered a uncommon large oarfish off the coast of Taiwan.
The viral video, initially printed by diving teacher Wang Cheng-Ru in June, exhibits the group coming upon the deep-sea fish in shallow water off the coast of the Ruifang District on the northeast nook of the island.
Footage of an enormous oarfish is uncommon, as a result of they normally are discovered 200 to 1,000 ft beneath the floor.
Watch the video above to see the oarfish encountered by the group.
Sightings of the glittering silver on its physique are an indication of an impending catastrophe, in response to legend. But the video exhibits that this oarfish seem like wounded.
“Many amazing animals can be found off Taiwan’s northeast coast … but it was my first encounter with a giant oarfish,” Cheng-Ru informed Newsweek.
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What is a big oarfish?
The large oarfish is a deep-sea dweller that usually lives at an depth of about 700 ft however has been discovered as deep as 3,280 ft.
Oarfish will be discovered across the globe in non-Arctic waters and are characterised by their scaleless physique coated in silvery guanine.
It is taken into account the longest bony fish on the earth by Guinness World Records. In 1963, an oarfish was caught in New Jersey that was an estimated 50 ft lengthy, and in 1885, a 600-pound specimen was caught in Maine.
The fish’s scientific title is Regalecus glesne. It earned its frequent title from its extremely compressed and elongated physique, in response to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Are oarfish harmful?
Though the sightings of stay oarfish are uncommon, those that see them are in little hazard.
Oarfish don’t have tooth and feed on plankton via gill rakers.
While the fish could have been inspiration for the tales of sea monsters, there are not any stories of encounters with oarfish leading to hurt.
Oarfish in mythology
According to Japanese folklore, oarfish sightings are an omen of an impending catastrophe.
The fish is named “ryugu no tsukai” – which interprets to “Messenger from the Sea God’s Palace” – and was believed to be the servant of the ocean god Ryūjin.
The legend says that the fish are despatched from the palace to the floor to warn folks of coming earthquakes. Though there have been sightings of the fish forward of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and Fukishima nuclear catastrophe, scientists consider 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, informed 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.”
