A Ph.D. candidate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla found a rare deep-sea oarfish washed ashore last week in Encinitas, the second time this year such a fish has been found in San Diego County, following a discovery in August in La Jolla.
The finds give scientists a chance to study the species without plumbing the depths of the ocean.
Last week, Alison Laferriere of UC San Diego’s Scripps Oceanography found a deceased 9½-foot-long specimen at Grandview Beach in Encinitas, officials said. It was just the 21st of the species documented to have washed up in California since 1901.
The previous 12¼-foot-long oarfish was found dead by kayakers and snorkelers at La Jolla Cove.
Ben Frable, manager of the Scripps Oceanography Marine Vertebrate Collection — one of the worlds largest collections of deep-sea fish — contacted the NOAA Fisheries West Coast team to recover the latest specimen and take it to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, according to a Scripps statement.
We took samples and froze the specimen, awaiting further study and final preservation in the Marine Vertebrate Collection, Frable said. Like with the previous oarfish, this specimen and the samples taken from it will be able to tell us much about the biology, anatomy, genomics and life history of oarfishes.
It is unclear why two of the rarely seen, short-crested oarfish have washed up on area shores, Frable said.
It may have to do with changes in ocean conditions and increased numbers of oarfish off our coast, he said. Many researchers have suggested this as to why deep-water fish strand on beaches.
Sometimes it may be linked to broader shifts such as the El Niño and La Niña cycle, but this is not always the case. There was a weak El Niño earlier this year. This washup coincided with the recent red tide and Santa Ana winds last week, but many variables could lead to these strandings.
The oarfish found in Encinitas will be preserved in the Scripps Institution of Oceanographys Marine Vertebrate Collection. (Alison Laferriere / Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
An oarfish has a long, scale-less, ribbon-like silvery body with dark spots. A long red dorsal fin crest extends from the top of the head.
Often described as sea serpents, oarfish can grow to lengths of 30 feet and are the longest bony fish in the world. Oarfish have a mythical reputation as predictors of natural disasters and earthquakes.
If someone finds an unusual or rare creature on a beach, they are encouraged to alert local lifeguards. They also can notify Scripps Oceanography by email at scrippsnews@ucsd.edu or phone at 858-534-3624. 