Fish, which lives up to 3,000ft below sea level, rarely seen on ocean’s surface
Third oarfish to be discovered on state’s coast in last two years
Amanda Holpuch in New York
Wednesday 3 June 2015 18.40 BSTLast modified on Wednesday 3 June 201519.03 BST
A rare fish whose ancestors probably inspired legends of sea serpents in the ocean’s murky depths has washed up on the coast of southern California, which has become something of a repository for the carcasses in recent years.
The dead 17ft-long oarfish discovered on Monday on Santa Catalina island has inspired curious locals to visit the beach to see the carcass and take smiling photos alongside it. Because the species resides in the deep sea, typically depths between 700 and 3,000ft, it is rare to spot them on the surface.
“I’ve lived on the island for over 20 years, and I’m on the water all the time … and I’ve never seen one,” Annie MacAulay, founder of the educational nonprofit Mountain and Sea Adventures, told ABC7.
There was evidence that seagulls had feasted on the body of the oarfish, which was found by the island harbor patrol. It is not known how it died. Scientists conducted a necropsy on the fish before transporting it to researchers at California State University, Fullerton.
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