Oarfish

ID points

• Silvery white ribbon-like body, extremely long and flattened
• Red dorsal fin running all the way to the tail
• A few rays on top of the head drawn out like a crown

Basics

Family

Regalecidae

Length

3.0–8.0 m

Depth

200-1000 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Temperate & polar · Deep sea

Distribution

Deep sea, tropical to temperate waters worldwide

Habitat

Deep open ocean

Diet

Krill, zooplankton

Easily confused with

CornetfishBody long and thin like a tube, the snout making up a third of itFirefish GobyFront half creamy white, shading to orange-red at the rearGhost PipefishBody covered in fringed skin flaps, looking like floating debris

Fun fact

The oarfish is the longest bony fish in the world, with recorded lengths of 11 metres. In Japan its appearance is taken as an omen of an earthquake, and it is almost certainly the original sea serpent of sailors' tales.