Divers off Taiwan’s Ruifang District filmed a giant oarfish, Regalecus glesne, in shallow water. The clip surfaced in June 2023 and shows a long, ribbon-shaped fish moving slowly. It drew attention online within days as viewers marveled and speculated.
The oarfish is a particularly long, bony fish. The Florida Museum species profile describes its silvery skin and ribbon-like frame.
This species occurs in most non-polar oceans and sometimes drifts upright with a red crest streaming above its head.
That broad context comes from years of field notes and videos, including work led by Mark C. Benfield of Louisiana State University (LSU).
Meeting Regalecus glesne
Healthy oarfish spend much of their life in the mesopelagic, a dim midwater zone of the open ocean. Remotely operated vehicles recorded individuals 1,520 to 1,615 feet (380 to 490 meters) deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
Those cameras showed calm, upright swimmers that hold position with minimal effort. Live encounters in shallow water are unusual and usually brief.
Currents, injuries, or illness can bring a deep dweller into reach of divers before it disappears again. Many sightings end before observers can collect measurements or samples.
Legend and science of Regalecus glesne
Japanese folklore treats oarfish as ominous messengers that warn of earthquakes. Modern seismology does not support this idea.
The United States Geological Survey states that there is no reliable way to predict earthquakes using animal behavior. Careful tests have not produced a method that works across places or time.
Seeing an oarfish does not signal a hazard on the way. It signals that a deep-sea animal is near the surface, often not at full strength.
Studying a creature that mostly lives far below daylight calls for different tools. Researchers piggyback on industrial ROV missions, gather high definition video, and compare sequences across years to map habits.
Records of size help. A Guinness World Records entry notes a 25 foot (7.6 meter) Regalecus glesne specimen weighing about 600 pounds (270 kilograms) near Maine in 1885.
A separate sighting by a laboratory team off New Jersey in 1963 was estimated at 50 feet (15 meters). That report highlights just how large an oarfish can be.
Motion patterns in video help answer practical questions. Vertical posture may improve feeding, while the fin along the back lets the body stay nearly straight to reduce drag.
Oarfish anatomy
This fish carries a long red crest at the front of the dorsal fin. That feature may signal to other oarfish while the animal hangs nearly upright.
The body is laterally compressed. Small changes in fin rhythm can raise or lower it without big bursts of speed.
Unlike tunas that sprint, oarfish use slow, constant fin waves. This style trades speed for efficiency in open water.
The eyes sit forward on a small head and link to a narrow mouth that is suited to tiny prey. A long pelvic fin pair and a tapering tail give it a distinctive outline unlike the torpedo shapes seen near coasts.
How oarfish survive the deep
Oarfish live in an environment where sunlight fades, pressure rises, and food is scarce. Their gelatinous tissues help them stay buoyant without using much energy.
The flexible skeleton allows them to withstand immense pressure that would crush many other animals closer to the surface.
They also have gill rakers, fine comb-like structures that filter plankton from seawater as they swim.
Instead of chasing prey, they glide with slow waves of the dorsal fin, capturing drifting organisms. This method conserves energy in a world where meals can be few and far between.
Why myths persist
When rare animals show up in unusual places, people look for patterns that fit the moment. An earthquake might follow a sighting once, and memory gives that coincidence more weight than the many quiet days that follow other sightings.
Stories that travel fast can pick a single detail and repeat it until it feels like proof. Scientists work to compare many cases over long periods before drawing conclusions.
How to watch Regalecus glesne
If you ever see a large fish in apparent trouble, keep a respectful distance and avoid touching the body or fin. Bright lights and loud sounds can add stress that reduces the animal’s odds of recovering on its own.
Alert local authorities or a nearby marine lab if the fish beaches or cannot swim. Clear video with steady framing and notes about the location and time help scientists compare cases and spot patterns.
The Taiwan video shows a fish with visible wounds, which fits with many surface encounters that involve stressed or injured animals.
It also reminds us how much of the ocean remains out of sight, even just a short boat ride from shore. Most of its world remains beyond casual view.
For students and curious readers, this fish is a reminder to balance curiosity with evidence. Short clips may spark theories, but careful records, measured video, and shared data help reveal what is really going on.
Information from Sky News report.
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