one dead oarfishan “incredibly rare” creature considered a symbol of impending doom japanese folklore, was recently spotted a few months off the coast of Southern California someone else appeared in a different location.

The first oarfish was caught by a group in August. “scientific” While kayakers and snorkelers swim in La Jolla Bay in San Diego, the other was spotted last week at Grandview Beach in Encinitas by Alison Laferriere, a doctoral candidate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

Scripps said in a news release that the paddlefish in Encinitas were “smaller” than those observed in San Diego, measuring between 9 and 10 feet. Deep-sea fish are thought to be “incredibly rare,” with fewer than 25 fish seen in Southern California waters in more than a century, Ben Frable, Scripps’ in-house fish expert and museum scientist, previously shared with USA TODAY.

The elusive specimen, like the one collected in August, will be autopsied to determine the cause of death and will then be preserved for future studies and will become part of Scripps’ Marine Vertebrate Collection, one of the world’s largest collections of deep-sea fish. World.

“We took samples and froze the sample pending further study and final preservation at the Marine Vertebrate Collection,” Fable said in a statement. “As with previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us a lot about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfish.”

Oarfish sightings may point to ‘changes’ in ocean conditions, scientist says

Scientists cannot theorize why oarfish, let alone two oarfish, have landed in the last few months; He says each specimen collected offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the species.

Fable said multiple variables are involved in both “swords,” including changes in climate patterns, particularly El Niño and La Niña.

“This may have to do with changes in ocean conditions and the increasing number of paddlefish on our coasts. “Many researchers have suggested this as to why deep-sea fish are stranded on beaches,” Fable said. “This stranding coincides with last week’s red tide and Santa Ana winds. came, but many variables can lead to these coastlines.”

Many areas in California, including Encinitas and La Jolla, are classified as Marine Protected Areas, where taking organisms is prohibited.

If you encounter a unique creature on a Southern California beach, you are encouraged to alert lifeguards and contact Scripps Institution of Oceanography at (858)-534-3624 or by email at [email protected].

According to Japanese folklore, the oarfish is a harbinger of impending disaster.

The belief that seeing an oarfish in shallow waters is a sign of an approaching earthquake dates back to the 17th century in Japan. reporting Article by Atlas Obscura. According to Japanese folklore, fish, also known as “ryugu no tsukai”, were believed to be servants of the sea god Ryūjin.

“Ryugu no tsukai,” meaning “messenger from the palace of the sea god,” is believed to have been sent from the palace to the surface to warn people of earthquakes, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.

A large number of fish sightings have been reported before. 2011 Tohoku earthquake Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of ichthyology at Kagoshima University, says there is no scientific evidence to show that the Fukishima nuclear disaster is linked to the Fukishima nuclear disaster. he told the New York Post.

“I believe these fish tend to rise to the surface on water currents when their physical condition is poor, so they are often dead when found,” Motomura told the Post.

The “connection” between the two may have to do with the fact that the glowing creature typically lives in the deep sea, living anywhere from 700 to 700 meters deep. 3,280 feet USA TODAY reported that it was below the surface. And it rarely comes to the surface.

These majestic creatures have been spotted in waters all over the world, and of course, sightings have also been reported in California, Maine, New Jersey, Taiwan, and Japan.

Contributed by: James Powell

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Two ‘incredibly rare’ paddlefish spotted months apart in California waters