Fish discovered in California prior to Los Angeles earthquake

The legend about 'doomsday fish' claims it predicts natural disasters.

Fish discovered in California prior to Los Angeles earthquake
Fish discovered in California prior to Los Angeles earthquake

In La Jolla, California, a group discovered a very rare deep-sea fish that had passed away while kayaking and snorkeling.

A "doomsday fish," measuring 12 feet in length, is known as the oarfish.

Since 1901, only 20 oarfish have been reported in California, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

School bus-sized fish with long, slender bodies that can grow up to 36 feet are known as doomsday fish.

Some people believe that the oarfish, commonly known as the "doomsday fish," predicts natural disasters like earthquakes or tsunamis, according to the Ocean Conservancy.

oarfish in California
Kayakers and snorkelers discovered a rare oarfish in La Jolla, California.  (Michael Wang/The Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP)

Scientists have not yet established a link between the appearances of fish and major earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis, despite observing the fish around Japan during these events, as reported by FOX Weather.

On Aug. 12, two days after the fish was discovered, Los Angeles experienced a 4.6-magnitude earthquake, as reported by the USGS.

rare fish spotted in California, the doomsday fish
A team of researchers and science-minded snorkelers worked together to recover a dead oarfish from waters in La Jolla Cove in San Diego, California. (Michael Wang/The Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP)

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Florida, oarfish feed on plankton, crustaceans, and squid by straining them from the water column using specially evolved gill rakes located in their mouths.

The group, with the assistance of NOAA Fisheries Service and California Sea Grant team members, successfully coordinated with lifeguards to transport the fish to the NOAA facility, according to experts at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.

"A necropsy will be conducted by scientists from NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Scripps Oceanography to determine the cause of death."

doomsday fish in ca
Scientists in California will perform a necropsy on the oarfish to see if they can determine the fish's cause of death. (Michael Wang/The Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP)

The Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection at the University of California San Diego will receive the fish after its necropsy.

Over 5,600 fish species are represented in the collection, which contains approximately two million alcohol-preserved specimens in over 120,000 lots.

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