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Oarfish seen on Southern California coastline
Once again, the rare deep-sea oarfish, seen as a sign of trouble, was sighted on the coastline of Encinitas, California. In the past three months, the state has seen the species for the third time, making it the 22nd sighting in the last hundred years.
According to a post on Facebook from Scripps, the 9-foot oarfish was discovered on Nov. 6 at Grandview Beach by Alison Laferriere from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. According to the post, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service recovered the dead specimen and took it to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
Ben Frable Stated
“We took samples and froze the specimen awaiting further study and final preservation in the Marine Vertebrate Collection,” Ben Frable, who manages the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps Oceanography, stated.
According to Atlas Obscura, Japanese mythology believes that the sightings of the deep-sea oarfish in shallow waters are signs of impending earthquakes and tsunamis.
According to Ocean Conservancy, in 2010, Japan’s coastline experienced at least twelve reports before the country faced its biggest recorded earthquake in March 2011.
Natural World Facts suggests that theories have been developed indicating that the tectonic movement prior to earthquakes may lead to the death of species, resulting in them being found on beaches right before an earthquake occurs. Nonetheless, GeoScience reported in 2019 that there was no link between oarfish sightings and earthquakes in Japan.
According to Ocean Conservancy, the “doomsday” species, seldom observed by humans, remains a mystery to scientists. Thriving in the mesopelagic zone, it is located up to 3,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, the least explored ecosystem in the sea.
“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 oarfish,” Frable said in the post.
According to a press release from Scripps, the initial oarfish was found in La Jolla Cove in August. Kayakers and snorkelers near the San Diego beach saw a 12-foot-long specimen, as the beach is located by two underwater canyons that direct deep water towards the shore.
Following the announcement, the fish was discovered to be in satisfactory condition and was brought in for evaluation and conservation to be added to the institution’s Marine Vertebrate Collection. According to Scripps, the collection is among the biggest of deep-sea fish globally.
According to Scripps, Oarfish are commonly referred to as “sea serpents” because of their long, silvery, ribbon-like bodies that can reach lengths of up to 30 feet. According to Ocean Conservancy, the fish are seldom seen alive because they typically only leave their natural habitats when they are in trouble.
Frable informed CNN that another oarfish was found in Huntington Beach in September, but it was in a “quite degraded” state. He says the cause of these oarfish appearing and dying is still unknown and could be due to various factors.
“It may have to do with changes in ocean conditions and increased numbers of oarfish off our coast,” Frable said. “This wash-up coincided with the recent red tide and Santa Ana winds last week, but many variables could lead to these strandings.”
According to the press release, scientists have been able to gather more information about the enigmatic creature and its strategies for survival through sightings of this species on beaches throughout the years.
Dahiana Arcila Remarks
“This oarfish presents a rare opportunity to obtain fresh samples for genomic analysis, allowing us to study the evolutionary adaptations that enable this species to thrive in deep-sea environments,” marine biologist and curator of Scripps’ Marine Vertebrate Collection, Dahiana Arcila remarked.
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