Rare deep-sea earthquake fish found in Southern California, scientists want to know the reason

Ocean experts have reported the discovery of a rare deep-sea fish floating near the coast of San Diego in Southern California. Scientists have brought this fish ashore for further research.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced over the weekend that a group of snorkelers and kayakers found a silver, 12-foot-long oarfish in La Jolla Cove north of downtown San Diego. This marks the 20th known instance of an oarfish washing up on the California coast since 1901.

Brittany Hook, Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Collections at Scripps Oceanography, expressed gratitude towards the local community for enabling scientists to study this mysterious species. The oarfish will become a part of the Scripps Vertebrate Collection, one of the world’s largest deep-sea fish collections.

In some parts of the world, the appearance of this fish is considered a bad omen or a precursor to natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis. Although the oarfish has a legendary reputation as a predictor of natural disasters, experts have yet to find evidence of a correlation.

Despite reports claiming oarfish washing ashore before catastrophic events, such as the discovery in La Jolla, the link remains unconfirmed. In 2011, over 20 oarfish were found on the coast of Japan several months before a 9.1 magnitude earthquake occurred.

Just days after the discovery in La Jolla, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Los Angeles area. While the connection between these events remains uncertain, it has sparked curiosity.

Experts have no concrete evidence to speculate why these fish are washing up on the Southern California coast, but each sample collected provides valuable insights. The fish was examined by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Scripps Research Institute to determine the cause of death.

Oarfish, which can grow over 20 feet in length, typically reside in the deep ocean where sunlight does not penetrate. Swimmers used paddleboards to bring the oarfish from La Jolla Cove ashore and transfer it into a pickup truck cabin.

Online information describes the oarfish as a mysterious deep-sea creature with a snakelike body and elongated size. They have horse-like heads, small mouths, no scales or pelvic fins, and a vibrant silver body with a few dark spots.

In January, Thai fishermen captured a massive oarfish in the Andaman Sea, raising concerns about devastating natural disasters. Geological scientist Kiyohide Mizuno reported in 2013 that deep-sea fish near the seafloor are more sensitive to movements of active faults compared to those near the surface.

In May, a nearly 15-foot-long oarfish weighing tens of kilograms was discovered on the coast of Hue City in central Vietnam, attracting a large crowd of onlookers taking photos.