Oarfish, also called the giant oarfish, is the longest bony fish. It normally measures 16 to 35 feet (5 to 11 meters) long. However, people have reported seeing oarfish more than 55 feet (17 meters) in length. The fish live in temperate (mild) and warm seas, normally at depths of 1,000 to 2,000 feet (300 to 610 meters). They have flat-sided, silvery bodies with bright red fins. On the underside of an adult’s body, two long pelvic fins end in blade-shaped swellings. These fins resemble the oars of a rowboat, giving the fish its name.
Oarfish have no teeth and feed primarily on tiny shrimplike creatures called krill. The fish swim with a snakelike motion. Scientists know little about oarfish because the animals live in deep water and have never been kept in aquariums. Occasionally, they travel to the ocean surface. Because of their size and appearance, oarfish probably inspired many “sea serpent” legends. According to Japanese folktales, sighting an oarfish near the ocean surface foretells an earthquake. However, scientists have shown that there is no association between sightings of these deep-sea fish and earthquakes.
