A fisherman caught a rare school of oarfish—up to 50 in total—off the coast of Taiwan. Oarfish are often considered a “harbinger of doom” from the deep sea.
The oarfish were caught by Wang Yuwen from Achun Fresh Fish Shop at the Taitung Chenggong fish farm on April 11, according to Yahoo News.
Wang stated that he caught the oarfish using a longline with floating buoys rather than a fixed net, making the event even more astonishing.
He reported that the largest oarfish weighed 19 kg, while the smallest was 7 kg, with the total catch exceeding 400 kg.
“In the past, catching a single oarfish on a fishing trip was considered lucky, and catching two or three was extremely rare,” Wang said. “I never expected to catch nearly 50.”
“Even my 80-year-old father said he had never seen anything like this before,” he added.
The massive number of oarfish caught by Wang Yuwen off the coast of Taiwan has sparked fear among locals.
After witnessing such an unusually large catch, many residents worried that a natural disaster might follow.
Some linked the appearance of the oarfish to a 4.7-magnitude earthquake that occurred on April 7.
Others speculated whether China’s submarine drills in the region might have disturbed the fish.
Despite public concerns, sightings of oarfish are not necessarily linked to natural disasters. It is not uncommon for them to wash up on beaches after storms or when they are severely injured.
Due to their long, snake-like bodies, oarfish resemble “sea serpents” and are believed to be omens of earthquakes and misfortune in Japanese folklore.
This belief gained traction after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
A spokesperson for Achun Fresh Fish Shop confirmed that they had sold out of the oarfish by April 13.
“Their flesh is white and tender, with a unique flavor. The best way to prepare oarfish is to steam it with ginger and scallions to enhance its natural taste,” the statement read.
Oarfish are among the longest fish in the ocean, reaching up to 17 meters in length and weighing over 200 kg.
