Monster from the deep: Should we fear sea serpent – world's longest fish
This fish is unique (Collage: RBC-Ukraine)
Nature hides incredible secrets within. Perhaps the most undiscovered by the human eye are the depths of the world's oceans and some of its inhabitants.
RBC-Ukraine tells what is known about the so-called "sea serpent" - the longest bony fish.
The following sources were used in preparing the material: Catalina Sea Camp, Guinness World Records, Sandy Hook Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries, National Geographic, Wikipedia, YouTube channel Deep Marine Scenes, YouTube channel WWF International.
Why the fish is called a "sea serpent"?
Some call the chub king of the herrings, or giant oarfish, a sea serpent. It does indeed resemble a mythical serpent to some extent, but that's where its similarity to the fearsome creature ends.
The first description of the giant oarfish dates back to 1771. The fish has a belt-like shape, so it is sometimes called a belt fish (at a length of 3.5 meters, the width of the body of this fish can be only 5 cm).
These fish usually swim head up, positioning the body in a position close to vertical.
Supporting the body (whose specific gravity is greater than the weight of water) from sinking, they move gradually with a slow speed thanks to the undulating movements of their long dorsal fin.
This fish is scary and beautiful at the same time (Photo: NOAA Fisheries)
Where the giant oarfish lives?
This fish is semi-deep-sea (although it prefers depths and feels comfortable there). It is found in warm and moderately warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Widely spread in the Atlantic, it is also found in the Mediterranean Sea, and along the coasts of the USA and Chile.
The giant oarfish can travel at depths - from the so-called mesopelagic zone (which reaches 200-1000 meters deep in water) to the surface itself. On average, it is found at depths of 50 to 700 meters.
What it eats?
Despite the fears of many people, the giant oarfish is not dangerous at all, as it essentially has no teeth.
This fish feeds on plankton, small crustaceans, small fish, and squid, literally filtering them from the water using special gill rakes located in its mouth.
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What is the "serpent" record?
The giant oarfish was entered into the Guinness World Record as the longest bony fish living now.
On average, these fish reach a length of about 5.5 meters (with a weight of 250 kg), but in July 1963, a group of scientists from the American marine laboratory Sandy Hook encountered an individual about 15.2 meters long while swimming near Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Some believe that the length of individual specimens can reach 17 meters.
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Is it edible?
Unlike many bony fish, the chub kings of the herrings have no scales. Instead, they are covered with a silvery coating made of a material called guanine. In addition, small bumps can be noticed on them.
Even though these fish are adapted to survive at great depths - under high pressure - their skin is soft enough and can be easily damaged.
They have no industrial value, as the meat of the oarfish is inedible (even animals don't eat it). Those who have tasted these fish have noted that their meat is "flaccid and sticky."
Myths and legends
Encounters of sailors with the oarfish, which swam near the water's surface (or whose bodies could be washed ashore), could very well be the basis of many stories about the "sea serpent."
In some of them, the creature is described as having a horse's head with a fiery-red mane that flows. The long rays of the dorsal fin of the fish, forming a kind of "plume" on its head, could be mistaken for such a mane.
Some call this fish a harbinger of misfortune and catastrophes. According to some beliefs, these fish may appear to people before natural disasters, earthquakes, or tsunamis.
