Juvenile oarfish offered up for sale in Japan

By Jake Adams on Jun 07, 2010

The oarfish, Trachipterus trachypterus, is a mysterious creature of the open ocean which has been the root of many a fisherman’s tale over the span of human history. There are four described species of oarfish with one species growing up to 56 feet (17 meters) long and it is the longest bony fish ever recorded. Oarfish are rarely seen but when they spotted, it is usually a specimen which is in poor health that has been washed closer to shore before the specimen fully expires. The juvenile oarfish above is believed to be the species Trachipterus trachypterus and although it was being offered up for sale for 198,000JPY or about $2100, like larger specimens of it’s kind which came into view of human eyes, the juvenile oarfish quickly expired in it’s captive environment.

Update and Video: Follow the break for a video of this fish and for more details on it’s fate.

We’ve come to learn that this juvenile oarfish did indeed perish after just a dozen hours in captivity. We had very slim hopes that the specimen would survive in captivity but it’s still sad to see it die so quickly. Since seeing and catching juvenile oarfish is such a rare occurrence, it’s likely that this specimen was compromised before it ever even left the ocean. The body of this specimen will be donated to a local research facility for further study. Apparently this fish caused quite a stir in the local marine aquarium community and many reefers came to see it right away.

Brian

I’m not that experienced with rare fish but even i can tall that is one cool friggin fish. It is interesting to not that as far as our hobby has progressed in the last couple of years that were still not quite there yet with acuratly emulating all of the biotopes of the ocean.
Brian

I’m not that experienced with rare fish but even i can tall that is one cool friggin fish. It is interesting to not that as far as our hobby has progressed in the last couple of years that were still not quite there yet with acuratly emulating all of the biotopes of the ocean.
http://www.columbiamac.org fsn77

Very interesting looking fish… Kind of sad that it didn’t survive though.
http://www.columbiamac.org fsn77

Very interesting looking fish… Kind of sad that it didn’t survive though.
Aquariumreef

I wonder what they did with the body. Seems kinda strange to flush a $2100 fish down the toilette. Maybe made a fillet?
Aquariumreef

I wonder what they did with the body. Seems kinda strange to flush a $2100 fish down the toilette. Maybe made a fillet?
pickle

a live one was captured on underwater video last february:
http://www.physorg.com/news185001953.html
pickle

a live one was captured on underwater video last february:
http://www.physorg.com/news185001953.html
Royce

I would like to leave you with a poem:

Crashing waves bring something in
Among the swell a bright red fin
What is this coming in to the shore?
A strange sea creature never glimpsed before.
With a piercing glare and silvery eyes
I stopped to stare at its unusual size
An enormous beast and true sea monster
Spawned from deep to creep and leap
From ocean waters to scare young daughters
Who beg & plead for no more fish
One more victim of the old Oarfish
Royce

I would like to leave you with a poem:

Crashing waves bring something in
Among the swell a bright red fin
What is this coming in to the shore?
A strange sea creature never glimpsed before.
With a piercing glare and silvery eyes
I stopped to stare at its unusual size
An enormous beast and true sea monster
Spawned from deep to creep and leap
From ocean waters to scare young daughters
Who beg & plead for no more fish
One more victim of the old Oarfish
Mudfish

Great video, pickle – thanks!
Mudfish

Great video, pickle – thanks!
Justin

Sometimes it’s best just to leave these rare and beautiful creatures alone. Yeah, it’s great to see the fish, but whoever caught it KNEW it was not going to live in captivity. It goes against what this hobby is really about and was irresponsible to say the least. Thanks Japan for the one less Oarfish left to grow up and breed in the wild.
Justin

Sometimes it’s best just to leave these rare and beautiful creatures alone. Yeah, it’s great to see the fish, but whoever caught it KNEW it was not going to live in captivity. It goes against what this hobby is really about and was irresponsible to say the least. Thanks Japan for the one less Oarfish left to grow up and breed in the wild.
Mike

What a waste of such a beautiful fish. They should have just left it alone if they didn’t know what they were doing.
Mike

What a waste of such a beautiful fish. They should have just left it alone if they didn’t know what they were doing.
Tim Morrissey

It was caught in shallower water than they are normally found and probably doomed before it was even came across, AFAIK.
Tim Morrissey

It was caught in shallower water than they are normally found and probably doomed before it was even came across, AFAIK.
tom

A shame, Looked in good nick.

Its demise is probably more a result of it being in an unsuitable captive environment.

Ive never really thought about keeping an oarfish, but id make damn sure it wasnt on the bottom of the tank sitting right in there amongst all those lovely bacteria

Tom
tom

A shame, Looked in good nick.

Its demise is probably more a result of it being in an unsuitable captive environment.

Ive never really thought about keeping an oarfish, but id make damn sure it wasnt on the bottom of the tank sitting right in there amongst all those lovely bacteria

Tom
justinl

This is not an oarfish (Regalecus russelii). The fish shown is Trachipterus trachypterus, a ribbonfish, another very rare and unknown deepwater fish.
justinl

This is not an oarfish (Regalecus russelii). The fish shown is Trachipterus trachypterus, a ribbonfish, another very rare and unknown deepwater fish.

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