An extremely rare oarfish has been captured on camera in the shallow waters of the Gulf of California.
Shedd Aquarium kayakers filmed this 4-m-long Giant oarfish in the Gulf of California. Image credit: John G. Shedd Aquarium.
Oarfish are large, greatly elongated fish found in all temperate to tropical oceans.
They are members of the Regalecidae family, which contains four species: Regalecus glesne, Regalecus russelii, Regalecus kinoi and Agrostichthys parkeri.
The first species, commonly known as the Giant oarfish, is the longest bony fish alive.
It can reach a length of 11 meters and weigh as much as 270 kg.
The Giant oarfish can live at great depths – up to 1,000 meters, but occasionally cast up on beaches.
In 2014, kayakers affiliated with the Chicago’s John G. Shedd Aquarium filmed two Giant oarfish in the shallow waters of the Gulf of California. They say one of the fish was more than 4 meters long.
