A New 14-Foot Oarfish Was Found In California
On Friday, a 14-foot oarfish washed up on the beach near Oceanside, California, The Los Angeles Times reports.
This was the second time in one week that the rare deep-water fish was found dead. The carcass of an 18-foot oarfish was discovered off of Catalina Island six days earlier. It took more than a dozen people to hold the silvery fish for a photo.
The latest discovery, a 14-foot-oarfish was collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after being sliced up into sections, according to the LA Times.
Oarfish are the longest known bony fish in the world, and they are believed to grow to more than 50 feet long. Not much is known about their habits and life cycle because they live at great depths - up to 3,000 feet from the surface - making them difficult to study.
They likely come to the surface when they are injured or dying, according to NOAA. The cause of death in both events is not clear.
Recently, scientists captured the first video of a healthy oarfish swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.