Dead 17ft oarfish washes up on southern California shore

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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Elusive Oarfish Filmed in Rare Footage

APR 8, 2014 11:30 AM ET // BY TIM WALL

Oarfish, including the 36-foot-long (11 meters) giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne), normally elude human eyes in the depths of the oceans. However, a lucky group of tourists recently filmed two oarfish in the shallow, coastal waters of Baja, Mexico. The oarfish observers were kayaking as part of a cruise run by Shedd Aquarium and Un-Cruise Adventures.

Oarfish live around the globe in temperate and tropical waters, down to 3,000 feet (915 meters) below the waves. Yet, despite the fishes' wide distribution, oceanographers and other humans rarely glimpse the four known species of oarfish in the deep sea habitat they prefer.

Most encounters with oarfish occur when the animals wash up dead on the beach, or sick in the shallows. The health of the oarfish filmed on the Baja coast was unknown. Last year, a dead 18-foot oarfish was towed to shore by a snorkeler at Catalina Island off the California coast. Then a 14-foot oarfish corpse turned up north of San Diego a few days later. The bigger fish was filled with parasites, reported Live Science, while the smaller fish was filled with hundreds of thousands of eggs, reported the AP.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/elusive-oarfish-filmed-in-rare-footage-140408.htm

Giant Oarfish Dissected! Worms, Eggs Found Inside

Researchers have dissected the two deep-sea oarfish that washed ashore in southern California this month. So far, they found that one was teeming with worms and the other was about to have babies.

On Oct. 13, an 18-foot-long (5.5 meters) oarfish was dragged to shore by a snorkeler at Catalina Island. Because the species lives in deep, dark waters, up to 3,000 feet (915 meters) below the surface, intact specimens are rarely discovered. Strangely enough, another smaller oarfish washed ashore north of San Diego just a few days later.

Parasitologists from the University of California, Santa Barbara jumped on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study the elusive creature and asked for a small tissue sample of the oarfish that washed up at Catalina Island. When the researchers cut through a tiny portion of the fish's intestine last week, they found it was carrying a heavy parasite load.

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Second Sea Serpent Washes up in California

If good things come in pairs, the discovery of another giant, nearly mystical sea creature should portend positive things for a bunch of bewildered beachgoers who early Friday evening happened across the second so-called "discovery of a lifetime" in less than a week.

The 13-and-a half-foot-long oarfish, which washed up on a beach in Oceanside Harbor, Calif., is the second of the rarely seen creatures to be found in a matter of days.

"It's so rare to find in Southern California, especially in surface water," Suzanne Kohin, of the National Marine Fisheries Service said. "They thought it was a very rare event the first time, so these two events that we heard of in the last few weeks are the only ones I've ever heard of."

The first discovery was made by a snorkeling marine scientist who wrestled the dead 18-foot monster (with help) to shore near Catalina last Sunday.

"I was thinking I have no idea what that is and like it looks like a snake but it kind of looks like a giant eel," said onlooker Alexandria Boyle, who was one of a class of third-graders on a beach trip when the newest oarfish was found.

Boyle was among a crowd of about 75 who crowded around the creature as police were called, and waited around for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to come and collect the carcass.

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Weird sea critter washed up in Delray Beach likely an oarfish, biology professor says

Carolyn Hoffman was walking along the beach in Delray Beach on Jan. 5 with her husband when something odd caught her eye.

A long, ribbon-shaped fish with a large, bulging eye had washed up in the surf.

“It just rolled up on the beach in front of us,” Hoffman said. “I’ve never seen anything shaped like that.”

Her husband, Harry Furrevig, is a fisherman, so Hoffman decided to take his photo with this odd sea creature to add to his collection of fishing photos.

“Let’s fillet this and eat it,” Furrevig told her jokingly. “I said no thanks,” Hoffman said.

Palm Beach Atlantic University biology professor Ray Waldner, an ichthyologist, said the fish is probably an oarfish – a fish in a family by itself, the longest of the bony fishes.

It could also be a “dealfish,” Waldner said.


Continued:  http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/outdoorworld/2012/01/11/weird-sea-critter-washed-up-in-delray-beach-likely-an-oarfish-biology-professor-says/

Serpent-like Fish Washes Ashore In Malibu

MALIBU ( KTLA) -- A 12-foot long oarfish washed ashore in Malibu this week and researchers at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum say they're looking forward to studying it.


A runner reportedly spotted the serpentine fish floundering in the waters off Malibu on Sunday. Shortly after, the fish died and washed ashore.

7-year-old Emmet Wasserman was in Malibu that day and took pictures of the fish.

He says he knew exactly what it was because he learned all about oarfish in school.

"I said, it's an oarfish and everyone was like, what?" Apparently, some adults who were also examining the fish thought it was an eel but Emmet was strong in his conviction and said, "all the facts... I said about it were right."

Biologists back up Emmet's claim and identified the fish as an oarfish that is typically found at depths of 700 to 3,000 feet in tropical waters.

The California Wildlife Center took tissue samples before giving it to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum on Tuesday.

Museum reps say the fish will be stored in a freezer as it awaits testing.

There are three other oarfish currently at the museum and researchers say they're looking forward to studying the creature because it's poorly understood scientifically.

What scientists do know is that the oarfish is the longest bony fish in the ocean and can grow to more than 30 feet in length.

Since this fish is only 12-feet long -- relatively short -- scientists believe it's a juvenile.

12-foot Oarfish washed ashore in Malibu (LOS ANGELES TIMES / December 2, 2010)

Researchers at the museum will examine what it ate for its last meal and how and why it died.

First footage captured of giant sea serpent of the deep: the oarfish

Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
February 09, 2010

Scientists have captured what they believe to be the first footage ever of the oarfish, the species likely responsible for legends told of sea serpents.

Deep in the gulf of Mexico, researchers photographed a swimming oarfish (Regalecus glesne) for several minutes. They captured the footage using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) provided by oil companies, who are drilling in the gulf.

The oarfish was filmed swimming beneath pone of the world's largest semi-submersible oil rigs, named Thunderhorse. It was apart of the Serpent project where oil companies loan researcher equipment.

"(It) provides a wonderful opportunity to learn more about life in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. That we found an oarfish while doing so was a fantastic bonus," Professor Paul Benfield told the BBC.

Scientists believe that this remarkable denizen of the deep is likely responsible for sea serpent legends. The oarfish is most often seen coming into shallow waters to die or washed up dead on beaches.

One of the world's longest fish, the oarfish can reach lengths of 55 feet (17 meters). The fish sports dorsal fins all along its back giving it a spiny sea serpent-like appearance. They are infrequently caught by fishermen.

http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0209-hance_oarfish.html
(Submitted by Al)