I don't think it came to the surface because of an earthquake, I think it came to the surface because it was sick! I try not to make a habit of eating fish found where they shouldn't be. It's like the equivilent of eating a pancake you found on the floor just now.
October 20, 2008
Anonymous said...
Anonymous above is probably correct. From Wikipedia: "The occasional beachings of oarfish after storms, and their habit of lingering at the surface when sick or dying, make oarfish a probable source of many sea serpent tales."
He might be, but it could have been that the oarfish was fine--many kinds of semi-deep-water fish come closer to the surface at night to feed (squid do this, too). Considering the video is taken at night, I think Mr. Oarfish was just coming up for a bite and ended up in the wrong spot. Something else my old professor (who loves these guys) told me about these guys is that when they're feeding, they tip their heads down until they're in a stationary vertical position. And despite the hypothesis postulated on the oarfish wikipedia page, no one really knows why...
October 22, 2008
Taiwanese fishermen caught a 3.5 meter fish off Taiwan's east coast. The fish is a Regalecus glesne, also known as the King of Herrings (it's good to be king, but of herrings?). Considered to be the largest of the bony fish, it lives at depths of up to 1000 meters.
So why were fishermen able to catch it? We don't know -- but the fishermen have an idea. They think the fact that the fish came toward the surface means that an earthquake is imminent. Well, only time will tell. Still, though; don't the fishermen know that you don't kill the messenger?
Thanks for the video, Marshall.
posted by Raging Wombat at 8:00 AM on Oct 18, 2008
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October 18, 2008
I don't think it came to the surface because of an earthquake, I think it came to the surface because it was sick! I try not to make a habit of eating fish found where they shouldn't be. It's like the equivilent of eating a pancake you found on the floor just now.
October 20, 2008
Anonymous above is probably correct. From Wikipedia:
"The occasional beachings of oarfish after storms, and their habit of lingering at the surface when sick or dying, make oarfish a probable source of many sea serpent tales."
October 20, 2008
He might be, but it could have been that the oarfish was fine--many kinds of semi-deep-water fish come closer to the surface at night to feed (squid do this, too). Considering the video is taken at night, I think Mr. Oarfish was just coming up for a bite and ended up in the wrong spot. Something else my old professor (who loves these guys) told me about these guys is that when they're feeding, they tip their heads down until they're in a stationary vertical position. And despite the hypothesis postulated on the oarfish wikipedia page, no one really knows why...
October 22, 2008