5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Oarfish sightings: Myth, science, folklore; all about ‘Doomsday fish'
Oarfish, often called the 'Doomsday fish,' are making waves due to their rare appearance off the coasts around the world four times this year. Found in deep ocean waters, the fish has a silver body in a long ribbon-like form and a red dorsal fin on its back and a distinct red hue on its crown.
An oarfish was recently caught by fishermen in Tamil Nadu, sparking a wave of assumptions as it is known for bad omen. The fish that was caught was at least 30 metres long, while it can grow as long as 38 meters, making it the longest bony fish on earth.
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🚨 MYSTERIOUS 'Doomsday Fish' appeared in Tamil Nadu a few days back.
— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) June 16, 2025
A three-meter-long oarfish washed up on the west coast of Tasmania on June 2. In the same week, two separate sightings of oarfish were reported in New Zealand. In February, a group of beachgoers spotted the rare fish swimming near Playa El Quemado beach in Baja California Sur. According to AccuWeather, the fish repeatedly returned to shore.
Many cultures believe that spotting an oarfish is a bad omen and attracts tragedy, most notably, natural disasters like tsunamis. According to Japanese folklore, these rare creatures are known as 'ryugu no tsukai,' which means 'messenger from the sea god's palace.' Several anime, including Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea, Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san, and Touhou Project, have depicted the oarfish.
Though modern belief in the oarfish's connection to disasters has faded, some recent sightings of the oarfish in several countries, including India, have reignited the fear. In 2010, multiple dead oarfish washed ashore along the coast of Japan. Just months later, the country was hit by the most devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Despite the coincidence between its appearance and the natural disasters over the years, there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that sightings of oarfish bring tragedy. While some have speculated about a potential link, suggesting the fish may possess an unusual sensitivity to seismic activity, no credible scientific theory has explained how or why this would occur, How Stuff Works reported.
According to a study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, no significant correlation between oarfish sightings and earthquakes was found.
