### Rare Deep Sea Oarfish Washes Up on California Shoreline Again

For the second time this year, the elusive oarfish has made an unexpected appearance along the California coast, stirring both scientific curiosity and age-old superstitions. Recently, a specimen measuring approximately nine to 10 feet was discovered by a PhD student from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego on a beach in Encinitas, southern California.

The oarfish, recognizable by its lengthy, ribbon-like form, is a denizen of the mesopelagic zone, a part of the deep sea that is perpetually cloaked in darkness. Historically shrouded in myth, these creatures have been labeled "doomsday fish" due to their reputation as omens of impending natural disasters. This belief intensified after 20 oarfish were found on Japanese beaches preceding the catastrophic 2011 earthquake.

This recent find follows another notable encounter just months earlier, when a 12-foot-long oarfish was discovered off the coast of San Diego by kayakers and snorkelers. These events are exceptionally rare, with only 20 documented strandings of oarfish in California since 1901, according to Ben Frable, a fish specialist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Frable suggests that the sightings could be linked to changing ocean conditions and possibly an increase in oarfish populations. He also noted broader climatic patterns such as El Niño and La Niña might play a role, although these phenomena do not completely account for the variability in sightings.

Researchers have taken samples from the most recent specimen and placed it in frozen storage for further examination and long-term preservation within the institution's marine vertebrate collection. The oarfish discovered in August underwent a thorough autopsy, providing scientists with the opportunity to study its organs and create the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome for the species.