Meet the Oarfish.
The oarfish, family Regalecidae, is a group of three remarkable large oceanic fish. They live in every ocean but are only rarely seen by humans. The giant and Russell’s oarfish grow at least 26 feet long and are the largest true fish.
Agrostichthys parkeri
The streamer fish grows up to 9.8 feet long and has been found very few times, always alone.
Regalecus glesne
The giant oarfish or king of herrings lives in cooler waters on either side of the equator.
Regalecus russelii
The Russell’s oarfish prefers the tropics.
- Oarfish usually live in the deep ocean.
- That said, many sightings are when they end up near beaches, because that’s where the people are.
- Many adult oarfish seem to have lost the end of their tail. This may be a natural behavior called autotomy, like how a lizard can drop its tail.
- Oarfish are very rarely seen by humans. Most of our understanding of them comes from a handful of dead specimens and even fewer live recordings. Seeing an oarfish is a special treat.
- World Oarfish Day is celebrated on June 24th.
- There are a lot of things we just don’t know about oarfish. See our open questions on our Research page.
Global Oarfish Council 