Rare ‘doomsday' fish — over 8 feet long — recorded for first time in Sri Lanka
With it measuring over 8 feet long with a 'silvery-grey' body and 'crimson red' fins, researchers have now confirmed the specimen caught accidentally in 2021 was an oarfish — the longest bony fish in the world, according to a study published July 9 in the journal Acta Ichthyologica Et Piscatoria.
This is the first confirmed sighting of the species Regalecus russellii in Sri Lankan waters, according to researchers. Just two oarfish of this species have been recorded in the Indian Ocean, the study said.
Oarfish in the Regalecidae family are known for their 'extremely slender' and 'very elongated ribbon-like' bodies, according to the study.
They inhabit a wide range of depths from just below the ocean surface to the mesopelagic zone, or twilight zone, where very little light penetrates, researchers said.
According to the study, oarfish are associated with 'numerous mythological beliefs,' but very little is known about them from a scientific standpoint, particularly in terms of their biology and habitat.
Oarfish are often referred to as 'doomsday fish' because in some cultures they are seen as 'harbingers of bad news, particularly disasters or destruction,' such as earthquakes, according to the Ocean Conservancy.
In the months leading up to Japan's Great Tōhoku Earthquake in 2011, 20 oarfish were found on beaches, according to reporting by The Guardian.
The study says in other parts of the world, such as Australia, there is a 'clear association' between storm events and oarfish getting stranded on beaches or being caught accidentally by fishermen near the surface.
This particular oarfish was caught in Sri Lankan waters during a period of 'coastal upwelling,' according to the study. This is when deep cold water rises to the surface, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Researchers said there have been many reported sightings 'of oarfish landings,' but none have been verified in peer-reviewed journals or made accessible to the scientific community.
Oarfish netted as bycatch by fishing vessels are often 'discarded without proper documentation,' according to the study. However, advanced technology and citizen science initiatives are helping to fill the knowledge gaps, researchers said.
The research team included Mahadurage I. G. Rathnasuriya and Thennakoon H. I. S. Hapuarachchi.
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