SEOCHEON, Aug. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — An oarfish, a rare marine species discovered in the deep sea, has been spotted near South Korea’s West Sea for the very first time.
According to the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, a fisherman came across a two-meter-long oarfish along the coast of Gogunsan Archipelago off Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, and generously contributed it to the institute.
Typically inhabiting depths of 400 to 500 meters, the oarfish can be found in South Korea’s East Sea, South Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Renowned for its crimson dorsal fins and colossal size that can extend up to 10 meters, the appearance of the oarfish is often considered a foreboding sign — an indicator of an impending earthquake.
However, this belief lacks scientific substantiation.
In South Korea, a legend persists, stating that an oarfish ‘soars above mountains for 15 days and spends another 15 days in the ocean’.
Image Credit: National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea / photonews@koreabizwire.com
