Oarfish

Oarfish: Recent Discoveries from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Collection

Step into the world of these legendary ocean creatures and get face-to-face with a rare preserved specimen of a Short-crested Oarfish found off the coast of Southern California in 2024. Experience these elusive fish in an 'underwater palace' that invites you to reflect on our connection to the natural world and how we navigate its unpredictable events.

Oarfish Folklore

Throughout history, humans have looked to nature — especially the behavior of animals — as a way to better understand and predict the natural world. Oarfish often feature in folklore as “messengers”, warning humans of earthquakes, diseases and other phenomena. This exhibit blends the rich folk history of the Short-crested Oarfish with the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps, which is home to one of the largest collections of deep-sea fish in the world!

Short-crested Oarfish

Short-crested Oarfish are scaleless and have silvery heads and bodies with distinctive red fins, including a prominent crest on the top of the head. Their elongated, smooth shape is why they are thought to be attributed to stories of “sea serpent” sightings. Their prey includes krill and small fish.

The Short-crested Oarfish on display washed ashore at Grandview Beach near Leucadia, California, in November 2024. Measuring more than 11 feet long, it offers a rare glimpse at this elusive deep-sea species.

King-of-the-Salmon Ribbonfish

King-of-the-Salmon ribbonfish are silvery with elongated bodies and distinctive ribbon-like dorsal fins. This fish also appears in folklore surrounding natural events, particularly the annual salmon migration that gives them their common name. The King-of-the-Salmon on display washed ashore at Mission Beach, San Diego, in 1968.