A deep-sea oarfish – believed to be a ‘harbinger of natural disasters’ – has been caught just before an earthquake hit.
A group of fishermen landed it off the coast of Paredón Bay in Chiapas State, Mexico.
Days after the oarfish was caught a quake rocked the Philippines’ second-largest island of Mindanao 8,500 miles away.
The 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck on Sat (2 Dec) and was quickly followed up by four aftershocks that exceeded 6.0.
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The disaster killed a pregnant woman and left at least four people injured.
Nine are reported as missing while the authorities said 529 families have been affected by the earthquake.
A warning was issued about a possible tsunami that was later lifted by officials.
The Mexican fishermen posed for snaps with the oarfish before eating it.
Due to their size and shape, oarfish resemble ‘sea serpents’ and are considered harbingers of earthquakes and misfortune in mythology.
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They are one of the longest fish in the ocean and can measure up to 55 feet in length and weigh over 440 lbs.
Their body is scaleless and the skin has a slimy, silvery protective coating known as guanine.
Due to its ability to adapt to different temperatures, oarfish are found in most of the world’s oceans with the exception of the poles.
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They live at depths of between 200m and 1,000m (656ft and 3,280ft) and sightings are not very common.
Sometimes they wash up on beaches after a storm or when they suffer a serious injury.
When they do appear, many locals take it as a sign that a natural disaster is about to strike.
Despite their links to natural disasters, the Ecuadoran Geophysical Institute said the oarfish myth has no validity in any scientific study carried out as of August 2022.
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