14 July 2023 , 15:03
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Divers have shared the moment they discovered an enormous and bizarre-looking deep sea fish with chunks bitten from its body by a shark.
Known as a harbinger of doom, the 'earthquake' fish was spotted near the ocean surface off the coast of Taiwan, and divers believe it was about to die.
Also called a Russell's oarfish, the fish get their other names as many believe their presence in shallow waters signifies that an earthquake is about to hit.
The two metre-long creature had several round bitemarks dotted over its body which were believed to have ripped out by a cookie-cutter shark.
Diving instructor Wang Cheng-Ru said it was the first time he'd ever spotted one of the species, and managed to snap a picture while exploring the waters.
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"It must have been dying so it swam into shallower waters," he said.
The huge Russell's oarfish was spotted off the coast of Taiwan (Jam Press/@chengruwang)Due to their size and shape, oarfish resemble 'sea serpents' and are considered harbingers of earthquakes and misfortune in Japanese mythology. The myth was rekindled in 2011 after the T'hoku earthquake and tsunami.
Shortly before the disaster, at least a dozen of the rarely seen fish washed ashore in Japan in late 2009 and 2010.
Despite their links to natural disasters, the Ecuadoran Geophysical Institute said the myth has no validity in any scientific study carried out as of August 2022.
Oarfish are considered one of the longest fish in the ocean and can measure up to 17 metres (56 ft) in length and weigh over 200 kgs (441 lbs).
Their body is scaleless and the skin has a slimy, silvery protective coating known as guanine. Their dorsal fin starts between its eyes and reaches its tail.
Due to its ability to adapt to different temperatures, oarfish are found in most of the world's oceans with the exception of the poles.
They live at depths of up to 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) and sightings are not very common.
Sometimes they wash up on beaches after a storm or when they suffer a serious injury.