Giant oarfish: The 'doomsday' fish of legend that supposedly foreshadows earthquakes

Name: Giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne)

Where it lives: In the mesopelagic zone of the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

What it eats: Krill, plankton, crustaceans and squid

Why it's awesome: According to Japanese myth, oarfish are harbingers of earthquakes, and their appearance signals a tremor could be about to hit.

In traditional Japanese legend, oarfish were known as "ryugu no tsukai" meaning "the messenger from the sea dragon god's palace." People believed oarfish would come up from the deep to warn people when an earthquake was imminent. This myth caused a stir in 2011 when 20 oarfish washed ashore in the months before Japan was struck by the country's most powerful earthquake.

While there is no evidence to back up the link between oarfish sightings and earthquakes, in August 2024 snorkelers found an oarfish in California — two days before an earthquake hit the region. However, scientists believe this was a coincidence.

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