oarfish

American  

[awr-fish, ohr-] / ˈɔrˌfɪʃ, ˈoʊr- /

noun

oarfishes plural

1. any long, ribbon-shaped, silvery fish of the genus Regalecus, of deep tropical waters, having a red dorsal fin along the spine that rises to a crest, and reaching a length of 30 feet (9 meters).

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oarfish British  

/ ˈɔːˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. Also called: king of the herrings.  a very long ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, with long slender ventral fins

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Etymology

Origin of oarfish

First recorded in 1855–60; oar + fish

Example Sentences

When a group of kayakers and snorkelers came across a dead oarfish at La Jolla Cove, they immediately notified officials about their find, helping bring the lifeless 12-foot-long rare fish onshore for future research.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2024

The oarfish has long been referred to as a doomsday fish, a reference that likely stems from Japanese folklore, which considered spotting such a fish a bad omen of natural disasters.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2024

With its long eel-like body, gaping mouth and bright red dorsal fins, it’s no surprise that the oarfish calls to mind a sea monster.

From Slate • Nov. 22, 2024

It’s rare to see an oarfish up close in California; only 22 have washed ashore since 1901, according to UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

This prompted researchers in Japan in 2019 to test whether oarfish and other deep-sea animal strandings were correlated with earthquakes, tsunamis and other factors.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024