Worrying ‘harbinger of doom’ fish discovered washed up on beach that could be a bad sign for us all

A very rare fish has washed up on a California beach, but it could come with some bad news.

For the second time in 2024, a rarely seen deep sea fish, known as an oarfish, has washed up on the coastline in California.

The creatures are historically considered a 'harbinger of doom' and tend to live in an area of the deep sea called the mesopelagic zone, where light cannot reach.

The 10ft-long specimen was discovered on Encinitas beach. (Alison Laferriere/Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, reported that, last week, one of its PhD students came across a specimen on a beach in Encinitas, southern California, and it measured roughly around 10ft long.

Oarfish tend to have long, ribbon-like bodies and are often referred to as 'doomsday fish'.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography shared on X: "Look what decided to make another appearance! Last week, another #oarfish washed up on Grandview Beach in Encinitas and was spotted by Scripps Oceanography PhD candidate Alison Laferriere. This cool creature measures roughly 9 to 10 feet long."

In a second tweet, the account revealed what Scripps' Marine Vertebrate Collection Manager Ben thinks, adding: "Like with the previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us much about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfishes.”

Social media users were shocked at the photographs of the 10-ft specimen.

One person said: "They look amazing! Wow! This will help scientists understand these creatures better and also look for reasons why they’re appearing more frequently on our beaches," while a second added: "Magical fish!"

It's the second time an oarfish has washed up on the California coast this year. (Alison Laferriere/Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

The creatures got their nickname due to their mythical reputation as predictors of natural disasters or earthquakes. In the months leading up to the 2011 earthquake in Japan, 20 oarfish were found on beaches around the country.

The latest discovery comes just a number of months after a group of kayakers and snorkelers came across a 12ft-long oarfish off the San Diego coast, floating dead in the water.

Seeing these creatures wash up on the shore is a very unusual occurrence, with oarfish having only been documented washing up in California on 20 occasions since 1901, per The Guardian.

Researchers took samples and froze the oarfish recovered recently for further study. Preservation is planned in the institution's marine vertebrate collection.

The discoveries this year have allowed scientists to conduct in-depth studies on oarfish, enabling them to analyse the creatures' organs and bodies.

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