Oarfish | |
---|---|
Giant oarfish | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Lampriformes |
Family: | Regalecidae |
Genera | |
Oarfish are large and extremely long pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the small family Regalecidae. [1] Found in areas spanning from temperate ocean zones to tropical ones, yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains three species in two genera. [2] One of these, the giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne), is the longest bony fish alive, growing up to about 8 m (26 ft) in length. [3]
The common name oarfish is thought to allude either to their highly compressed and elongated bodies, or to the now discredited belief that the fish "row" themselves through the water with their pelvic fins. [4] The family name Regalecidae is derived from the Latin regalis, meaning "royal". Although the larger species are considered game fish and are fished commercially to a minor extent, oarfish are rarely caught alive; their flesh is not well regarded for eating due to its gelatinous consistency. [5]
Their rarity and large size, and their habit of lingering at the surface when sick or dying, make oarfish a probable source of sea serpent tales. Their beachings after storms have gained them a reputation as harbingers of doom, a folk belief reinforced by the numerous beachings before the disastrous 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
The dorsal fin originates from above the (relatively large) eyes and runs the entire length of the fish. Of the approximately 400 dorsal fin rays, the first 10 to 13 are elongated to varying degrees, forming a trailing crest embellished with reddish spots and flaps of skin at the ray tips. The pelvic fins are similarly elongated and adorned, reduced to one to five rays each. The pectoral fins are greatly reduced and situated low on the body. The anal fin is completely absent and the caudal fin may be reduced or absent as well, with the body tapering to a fine point. All fins lack true spines. At least one account, from researchers in New Zealand, described the oarfish as giving off "electric shocks" when touched. [4]
As in other members of its order, the mouth can be protruded. [6] The body has no scales. [7] In the streamer fish ( Agrostichthys parkeri ), the skin is clad with hard tubercles; [8] in Regalecus russelii , there are tubercules along the midline of the belly. [7]
All species lack swim bladders, [7] the number of gill rakers is variable, but R. russellii has more than R. glesne. Oarfish are silver in coloration; the body is marked with small dark spots. [7]
The giant oarfish is by far the largest member of the family, at a length of 8 m (26 ft)—with unconfirmed reports of specimens 11 m (36 ft) and 17 m (56 ft) [3] [9] [10] in length and 270 kg (600 lb) in weight. [11] The streamer fish reaches 3 m (9.8 ft) in length, [12] while the largest recorded specimen of Regalecus russelii was 5.4 m (18 ft). [13]
Oarfish frequently practise autotomy, self-amputating the tail, presumably as an anti-predator adaptation. All captured R. russellii over 1.5 m long have autotomized tails; it is thought that they may autotomize their tails repeatedly. The break can occur near the tip of the tail so that only a part of the caudal fin is lost, or it may involve a few caudal vertebrae; in extreme cases the entire tail is lost. The wound heals but the tail does not regenerate. [6]
Hyperossified bones have been documented in several oarfish washed up on the coast of California. These bony rays run along the entire dorsal length of the body. Their function is both to provide structural support to the spine during undulations (tail movement used for locomotion), and to prevent stress fractures that could occur from strong movement. Unlike many deep-sea fish, oarfish have no swim bladders for maintaining depth in the water column. It is likely that this forces more frequent tail undulations as the main mode of depth regulation in oarfish. [14]
Through the analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Regalecus glesne, the phylogenetic placement of the giant oarfish was further verified. Oarfish are Lampriformes, so placed due to their morphology. Analysis of the mitochondrial genome of an R. glesne specimen clusters the species with Trachipterus trachypterus and Zu cristatus , two other Lampriformes. [15]
Oarfish were first described in 1772. [16] Three extant species in two extant genera are described:
The oarfish inhabits the epipelagic to mesopelagic ocean layers, ranging from 250 meters (660 ft) to 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) and is rarely seen on the surface. A few have been found still barely alive, but usually if one floats to the surface, it dies due to depressurisation. At the depths the oarfish live, there are few or no currents. As a result, they build little muscle mass and they cannot survive in shallower turbulent water. [17]
The members of the family have a worldwide range, with tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate distributions. [18] The oarfish typically reside in the mesopelagic area of the sea. [19] However, human encounters with live oarfish are rare, and distribution information is collated from records of oarfish caught or washed ashore. [4]
Rare encounters with divers and accidental catches have supplied what little is known of oarfish ethology (behavior) and ecology. In 2001, an oarfish was filmed alive in the wild. The 1.5-metre (4.9-foot) fish was spotted by a group of U.S. Navy personnel during the inspection of a buoy in the Bahamas. The oarfish was observed to propel itself by an amiiform mode of swimming; that is, rhythmically undulating the dorsal fin while keeping the body itself straight. Perhaps indicating a feeding posture, oarfish have been observed swimming in a vertical orientation. In this posture, the downstreaming light would silhouette the oarfishes' prey, making them easier to spot. [20]
An oarfish measuring 3.3 m (11 ft) and 63.5 kg (140 lb) was caught in February 2003 using a fishing rod baited with squid at Skinningrove, United Kingdom. [21]
In July 2008, scientists for the first time captured footage of an oarfish swimming in its natural habitat in the mesopelagic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The fish was estimated to be between five and ten metres (16 and 33 ft) in length. [22] Five observations of apparently healthy oarfish Regalecus glesne by remotely operated vehicles were reported from the northern Gulf of Mexico between 2008 and 2011 at depths within the epipelagic and mesopelagic zones. [23] These observations include the deepest verified record of R. glesne (463–492 m or 1,519–1,614 ft). [24] In the 2011 sighting, an oarfish has been observed to switch from swimming with a vertical posture to swimming laterally, using lateral undulations of its entire body. [25] Oarfish were found to have late or slow flight responses towards approaching remotely operated vehicles, supporting the hypothesis that they have few natural predators. [25]
From December 2009 to March 2010, unusual numbers of the slender oarfish Regalecus russelii [13] appeared in the waters and on the beaches of Japan. [26]
In 2016, Animal Planet aired an episode of the television series River Monsters named "Deep Sea Demon" in which Jeremy Wade was filmed with a live oarfish. The oarfish at this location seemed to be using a buoy anchor chain as a guide to ascend to the surface. On his second diving attempt, he filmed two live oarfish as they came relatively close to the surface. Wade was able to touch one of the oarfish with his hand. [27]
In January 2019 two oarfish were found alive in the nets of fishermen on the Japanese island of Okinawa. [28]
Oarfish feed primarily on zooplankton, selectively straining tiny euphausiids, shrimp, and other crustaceans from the water. Small fish, jellyfish, and squid are also taken. [29] It has been observed that oarfish eat by suctioning prey such as plankton blooms while in the water. [30]
The oceanodromous Regalecus glesne is recorded as spawning off Mexico from July to December; all species are presumed to not guard their eggs, and release brightly coloured, buoyant eggs, up to six millimetres (0.24 in) across, which are incorporated into the zooplankton. [4] Based on their reproductive morphology, oarfish are thought to batch spawn. Within each breeding season that may last one or two months, individuals spawn once or multiple times in discrete spawning events before their gonads enter a long, regressive stage of reproductive development. [31]
The eggs hatch after about three weeks into highly active larvae that feed on other zooplankton. The larvae have little resemblance to the adults, with long dorsal and pelvic fins and extensible mouths. Larvae and juveniles have been observed drifting just below the surface. In contrast, adult oarfish are rarely seen at the surface when not sick or injured. It is probable that the fishes go deeper as they mature. [4]
From January to February 2019, researchers tested and recorded the first successful instance of artificial insemination and hatching of Regalecus russellii using gonads from two washed-up specimens. Compared to adults, the body structure of newly hatched oarfish larvae look more compressed. The larvae often swam using mainly their pectoral fins, facing downward, with their mouths constantly open. The larvae were invertebrates but had bones in their head area, as well as fins. They died of starvation four days after they hatched. [32]
Female R. russelii have bifurcated ovaries with a cavity through which the eggs pass before they are laid. [33] The testes of male oarfish in the coelomic cavity near the digestive tract. [33] There are two separate, disconnected testes, the left one being longer than the one on the right. [33] A single female can produce hundreds of thousands, to millions of eggs. The eggs are laid in the water column, and they float freely in the water. [34]
A 2015 study suggested that the shortfin mako shark and the sperm whale could both be predators of the oarfish, based on patterns of parasite transmission and analysis of oarfish viscera. [35]
The slender oarfish, (竜宮の使い "Ryūgū-No-Tsukai"), known in Japanese folklore as the 'Messenger from the Sea God's Palace', is said to portend earthquakes. [26] The oarfish has been nicknamed the "doomsday fish" because, historically, appearances of the fish were linked with subsequent natural disasters, namely earthquakes or tsunamis. [37] [38] After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami which killed over 20,000 people, many in Japan pointed to the 20 oarfish washed up on the country's beaches in 2009 and 2010 in line with this reputation as a harbinger of doom. [28]
Actinopterygii, members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of skin supported by radially extended thin bony spines called lepidotrichia, as opposed to the bulkier, fleshy lobed fins of the sister class Sarcopterygii. Resembling folding fans, the actinopterygian fins can easily change shape and wetted area, providing superior thrust-to-weight ratios per movement compared to sarcopterygian and chondrichthyian fins. The fin rays attach directly to the proximal or basal skeletal elements, the radials, which represent the articulation between these fins and the internal skeleton.
Lampriformes is an order of ray-finned fish. Members are collectively called lamprids or lampriforms, and unite such open-ocean and partially deep-sea Teleostei as the crestfishes, oarfish, opahs, and ribbonfishes. A synonym for this order is Allotriognathi, while an often-seen, but apparently incorrect, spelling variant is Lampridiformes. They contain seven extant families which are generally small but highly distinct, and a mere 12 lampriform genera with some 20 species altogether are recognized. They are the only extant members of the superorder Lamprimorpha, which was formerly diverse throughout much of the Late Cretaceous.
The ocean sunfish, also known as the common mola, is one of the largest bony fish in the world. It is the type species of the genus Mola, and one of five extant species in the family Molidae. It was once misidentified as the heaviest bony fish, which was actually a different and closely related species of sunfish, Mola alexandrini. Adults typically weigh between 247 and 1,000 kg. It is native to tropical and temperate waters around the world. It resembles a fish head without a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.
Skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. More than 150 species have been described, in 17 genera. Softnose skates and pygmy skates were previously treated as subfamilies of Rajidae, but are now considered as distinct families. Alternatively, the name "skate" is used to refer to the entire order of Rajiformes.
Stenodus leucichthys, also known as the inconnu, sheefish, ak balyk, or beloribitsa, is a species of large, anadromous, freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. In the strict sense its natural distribution is restricted to the Caspian Sea basin. It is now considered extinct in the wild, but survives in cultured stocks. The nelma, a more widespread species of Eurasia and North America, is sometimes considered its subspecies.
The Pacific viperfish, is a predatory deep-sea fish found in the North Pacific. It is reported as being either mesopelagic or bathypelagic, with diel vertical migration to shallower waters. The Pacific viperfish is one of the nine different species that belong to the genus Chauliodus, the viperfish. The Pacific viperfish tend to be the largest of the species, typically reaching lengths of up to 1 foot and are considered an example of deep-sea gigantism. The length-weight relationship of the pacific viperfish varies with sex with females tending to be longer and heavier than males.
The black swallower is a species of deep sea fish in the family Chiasmodontidae. It is known for its ability to swallow fish larger than itself.
The footballfish form a family, Himantolophidae, of globose, deep-sea anglerfishes found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean. The family contains 23 species, all of which are classified in a single genus, Himantolophus.
Maurolicus muelleri, commonly referred to as Mueller's pearlside,Mueller's bristle-mouth fish, or the silvery lightfish, is a marine hatchetfish in the genus Maurolicus, found in deep tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, from the surface to depths of 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). It can grow to a maximum total length of 8 centimetres (3.1 in).
This glossary of ichthyology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in ichthyology, the study of fishes.
The giant oarfish is a species of oarfish of the family Regalecidae. It is an oceanodromous species with a worldwide distribution, excluding polar regions. Other common names include Pacific oarfish, king of herrings, ribbonfish, and streamer fish.
The crocodile shark is a species of mackerel shark and the only extant member of the family Pseudocarchariidae. A specialized inhabitant of the mesopelagic zone, the crocodile shark can be found worldwide in tropical waters from the surface to a depth of 590 m (1,940 ft). It performs a diel vertical migration, staying below a depth of 200 m (660 ft) during the day and ascending into shallower water at night to feed. Typically measuring only 1 m (3.3 ft) in length, the crocodile shark is the smallest living mackerel shark. It can be distinguished by its elongated cigar-shaped body, extremely large eyes, and relatively small fins.
The black scabbardfish is a bathypelagic cutlassfish of the family Trichiuridae found in the Atlantic Ocean between latitudes 69°N and 27°N at depths between 180 and 1,700 m. Its length is up to 110 cm (3.6 ft), but it reaches maturity around 80 to 85 cm.
Rhadinorhynchidae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida.
The black-faced blenny is a small benthic fish from the family Tripterygiidae (triplefin-blennies). It occurs at depths of 3 to 40 metres and lives on the substrate under large rocks, cliffs or other overhangs.
Agrostichthys parkeri, also called the streamer fish, is a species of oarfish. Only seven identified specimens have been examined, with few found fully intact, and have mainly been found in the Southern Ocean. Agrostichthys parkeri belongs to the Regalecidae (oarfish) family in the Lampriformes order and is the only known member of its genus. This species has been known to grow up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) long and has a ribbon-like body, two large eyes, a protruding mouth and long filamentous rays originating at the head. Due to only seven specimens being found, only the distribution and anatomy of Agrostichthys parkeri can be documented.
Pterois russelii, the largetail turkeyfish, plaintail firefish, plaintail turkeyfish, Russell's firefish, Russell's lionfish, spotless butterfly-cod or the spotless firefish, is a species of ray-finned fish with venomous spines belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean from the eastern part of Africa to the Persian Gulf.
Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only by muscles.
Argyropelecus affinis is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Sternoptychidae, described by Garman in 1899, found in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Common names for this fish include Pacific hatchetfish, deepsea hatchetfish and slender hatchetfish. It inhabits the upper mesopelagic zone between 350 and 600m during the day, and between 100m and 350m during the night and is either non-migratory or performs short daily vertical migrations. They are distributed widely throughout all tropical and temperate seas. They are known for its laterally compressed body and characteristic photophores, which aid in bioluminescence. Argyropelecus affinis is closely related to Argyropelecus gigas.
Regalecus russelii, or Russell's oarfish, is a species of oarfish in the family Regalecidae. It is a broadly-distributed marine fish, found in waters in the bathypelagic zone. R. russelii is a scaleless, elongate and ribbonlike fish, growing up to 8 meters in length.
The novice angler fishing off the rocks for mackerel thought that she must have hooked a big one. – Unfortunately the oarfish has been cut up into steaks for the pot.
Toyama — A rarely seen deep-sea fish regarded as something of a mystery has been giving marine experts food for thought recently after showing up in large numbers along the Sea of Japan coast.