Rare 'Doomsday Fish' Caught Off Tamil Nadu Coast, Sparks Fear Among Locals And Netizens

Tamil Nadu: A rare oarfish often called the “Doomsday Fish” was recently caught in fishermen’s nets off the coast of Tamil Nadu earlier this month. This long, ribbon-shaped deep-sea creature measured an impressive 30 feet. However, its arrival is seen as a bad omen in many parts of the world and this sighting captured the attention of locals and netizens alike.

The oarfish, also known as the Regalecus Glesne, is a deep- sea creature that can grow up to 30-feet in length, making it one of the largest bony fish in the ocean. It typically resides 200 to 1,000 meters deep and due to this, oarfish sightings are extremely rare. Its shiny silver body and striking red crest give it an almost mythical appearance.

The “Doomsday” Legend

In many Asian cultures, including Japan and Southeast Asia, sightings of oarfish have long been linked to legends of looming disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Known as “Doomsday Fish” or “Pralaya Fish,” their sudden appearances have historically been seen as a warning that the earth might soon shake.

Myth vs Science

The sighting in Tamil Nadu has sparked anxiety among local fishermen as well as online. While the folklore paints the oarfish as the reason for disaster, marine biologists provide a more rational explanation. The oarfish is a deep-dwelling fish, and only surface due to injury or when they have been disoriented by ocean currents. Scientific studies, including a 2019 survey in the Pacific, have also found no causal relationship.

Dr. N. Raghavendra from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information confirmed that “there is no evidence linking oarfish appearances to earthquakes.”

Netizens React To Viral Sighting

The video was posted in early June, and has gone viral online. Many users are fearing the end of the world while others are speculating that the oarfish is what caused the recent tensions and disasters.

Here are some comments:

This breathtaking encounter with a rare deep-sea fish has sparked apocalyptic fears, but there’s no scientific reason to expect a disaster.

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