The world’s longest “water monster” is called “sea dragon”

Giant oarfish (also known as paddlefish, scientific name Regalecus glesne) were first mentioned in 1772, but are rarely seen because they live in the depths of the ocean – at a depth of 1,000m compared to with sea level.

The giant Oarfish is the oldest known living bony fish, growing up to 17m in length and can weigh up to 270kg.

Oarfish has a ribbon-like appearance, a fairly thin horizontal body and a dorsal fin running along the entire length of the body. Because of its “huge” length and special red fin, many people call this fish a giant sea snake, or “sea dragon”.
The pectoral fins of the fish are usually shark, the pelvic fins are long paddles. The color of the fish is usually silver with black markings and red fins.

Oarfish do not have fins, but wear a silver coat containing the chemical guanine – a substance found in the fins of some fish. Although they are adapted to survive under high pressure, the Oarfish’s skin is very soft and vulnerable.
Despite having a “giant” body, Oarfish do not have teeth, but often catch prey with gills. Accordingly, they suck water into the mouth, discharge water through the gills, filter to retain small food. Oarfish’s favorite foods are mollusks or small crustaceans such as small fish or squid.

For a long time, many Japanese people have believed that, every time an Oarfish carcass is discovered, it is a harbinger of an upcoming earthquake.
This belief comes from a Japanese legend that says that the carcass of Oarfish floating on the beach is a message sent from the palace of the sea god.

Many scientists have denied this information. Some studies, they say, have shown that there was a particularly large fluctuation recorded before the earthquake, which coincides with the decline in animal activity observed in the pre-earthquake period. .
Accordingly, positive ions in the air are the culprit leading to unpleasant side effects in both humans and animals. For example, syndrome of increased serotonin in the blood – leading to symptoms of restlessness, anxiety, hyperactivity ..

In the study involving toads, scientists noted that the activity of the toad coincided with pre-seismic disturbances in the ionosphere, so it was able to detect low-frequency radio waves (VLF).
Even so, the scientists still haven’t drawn any lessons from their research on what causes the unusual behavior of the toads.
As for Oarfish, experts say that, because they live near the sea floor, they are more sensitive to soil movements than species that live near the sea surface. However, whether this fish has the ability to predict earthquakes or not has not been scientifically proven.