Mythical “Doomsday” Fish Beached In California Again
In traditional Japanese legend, the belt fish or doomsday fish (Regalecus glesne) is known as “ryugu no tsukai,” which literally means “messenger from the palace of the sea dragon god.” People believed that the belt fish emerged from the depths of the ocean to warn of an earthquake. Although scientists emphasize that there is no scientific basis for such statements, this myth is firmly rooted in the territory of the island states, and in 2011, it caused quite a stir when two dozen oarfish immediately washed ashore a few months before Japan was hit by the most catastrophic earthquake and the resulting tsunami that wreaked havoc on the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Coincidence? More likely, there’s something about these wonderful fish that we don’t understand yet.
The existence of the royal oarfish was also veiled in myths and legends of the Vikings. They were the ones to give it the name “herring king.” In the beliefs of Scandinavian fishermen, the huge serpent-like fish led the schools of herring through the cold waters. The king had to be spoken of with respect. The slightest insult to his majesty was supposed to make him leave the fishing grounds along with the schools, which could lead to starvation of the fish-dependant citizens.
With all this said, it’s no wonder that scuba divers got freaked out when they found a beached oarfish in California. After reporting the incident, the animal was taken for an autopsy to help researchers find out what caused its death, but it seems to require further studies.
