Oarfish Washes Ashore at Los Coquitos Beach in Montecristi, Sparking Earthquake Speculation
This weekend, a rare sighting occurred at Los Coquitos Beach in the Pepillo Salcedo municipality, Montecristi province, as a four-foot-long oarfish washed ashore. The giant oarfish, also known as Regalecus glesne, is a species of lampridiformes fish with a cosmopolitan distribution in all oceans, except the polar regions.
The oarfish, also known as the “king of herrings,” is the longest bony fish in the world, capable of reaching up to 11 meters in length and 200 kilograms in weight. Its appearance is ribbon-like, with a long dorsal fin extending from between the eyes to the tip of its tail, and small fin radii numbering in the hundreds.
There is a common belief that the oarfish appears before and after earthquakes, earning it the nickname “earthquake fish.” However, this phenomenon has not been scientifically proven. Experts in ecological seismology assert that fish at the bottom of the sea are more sensitive to seismic movements than those located closer to the ocean’s surface.
The belief that the oarfish predicts earthquakes originated in Japan, where it is considered the servant or messenger of the dragon king, the ruler of the sea. The legend gained strength when multiple oarfish sightings preceded significant seismic events, including the Fukushima disaster. Events such as the appearance of a specimen in Santa Monica before earthquakes in Mexico and Panama have led to ongoing debate among scientists about the oarfish’s alleged ability to detect seismic activity.
While it is known that the oarfish only surfaces when sick, dying, or to announce a negative event, the connection between its appearances and seismic events remains a topic of controversy among researchers. The recent appearance of the oarfish in Montecristi has reignited speculation about its supposed connection to earthquakes.