Oarfish

Oarfish
Giant oarfish
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Lampriformes
Family:	Regalecidae
Genera
Agrostichthys Regalecus

Oarfish are large and extremely long pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the small family Regalecidae.^[1] Found in areas spanning from temperate ocean zones to tropical ones, yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains three species in two genera.^[2] One of these, the giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne), is the longest bony fish alive, growing up to about 8 m (26 ft) in length.^[3]

The common name oarfish is thought to allude either to their highly compressed and elongated bodies, or to the now discredited belief that the fish "row" themselves through the water with their pelvic fins.^[4] The family name Regalecidae is derived from the Latin regalis, meaning "royal". Although the larger species are considered game fish and are fished commercially to a minor extent, oarfish are rarely caught alive; their flesh is not well regarded for eating due to its gelatinous consistency.^[5]

Their rarity and large size, and their habit of lingering at the surface when sick or dying, make oarfish a probable source of sea serpent tales. Their beachings after storms have gained them a reputation as harbingers of doom, a folk belief reinforced by the numerous beachings before the disastrous 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.