‘Doomsday Fish’ Caught in Tamil Nadu: Oarfish, Known As Sign of Upcoming Tsunamis and Earthquakes, Found in Pamban
An oarfish, also known as the 'doomsday fish', was recently caught off the Tamil Nadu coast. According to the report, fishermen from Pamban in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district were taken by surprise on Monday, October 6, when they netted the rare deep-sea creature.
Chennai, October 7: An oarfish, also known as the "doomsday fish", was recently caught off the Tamil Nadu coast. According to the report, fishermen from Pamban in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district were taken by surprise on Monday, October 6, when they netted the rare deep-sea creature.
The six-kilogram, silver-scaled fish with an elongated body was discovered while the crew was sorting their catch on their return from the Gulf of Mannar after setting out from Rameswaram fishing port, India Today reported. ‘Doomsday Fish’ in Tamil Nadu: Fishermen Catch Rare Oarfish, Video Goes Viral.
About the Mysterious ‘Doomsday Fish’...
An oarfish is a slow-moving and lazy fish with very little muscle. It usually just floats gently in the water, often in a vertical position, and feeds on plankton. According to an old Japanese belief, the oarfish is referred to as the doomsday fish because its appearance near the surface is thought to be a warning of natural disasters.
In some cases, people have reported seeing oarfish washing ashore before major earthquakes, especially in Japan. They assume it can sense underwater seismic activity and rise to the surface to warn humans. However, this theory has never been confirmed by science. ‘Doomsday Fish’ Found in Mexico: Rare Oarfish Swims on Mexican Beach, Sparks Fears of Disaster (Watch Video).
In June, the fishermen caught an oarfish off the Tamil Nadu coast. The rare fish was a 30-foot-long shimmering oarfish, silver in color, ribbon-like body and a red fin on its head. It was extremely huge and was handled by 5-6 fishermen.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 07, 2025 01:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).