Rare Doomsday Fish, Believed To Be A Warning Sign Of Natural Disaster, Spotted In Tamil Nadu

An oarfish, also known as the "doomsday fish", was recently caught off the Tamil Nadu coast. This deep-sea creature, rarely seen near the surface, is thought to be a warning of natural disasters, as per an old Japanese belief. So naturally, its sighting off the Indian coast has sparked concern among locals. 

A video going viral on social media shows a total of seven men holding the rare sea creature. The fish has a silvery, wavy body with a striking red crest-like fin near its head. "The rarely seen oarfish, which usually are in deep-sea, which is also known as 'Doomsday' fish, is caught in the net in Tamil Nadu," reads the caption of the post. 

Take a look below: 

The rarely seen oarfish, which usually are in deep-sea, which is also known as 'Doomsday' fish is caught in the net in TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/8N4TTNyDec

— Aryan (@chinchat09) June 16, 2025

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, 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. 

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Oarfish can reach lengths of up to 11 metres. They usually live in deep water and only return to the surface when they are sick, dying or breeding.

Spotting this fish is rare. However, in recent years, it has made quite a few appearances worldwide. Earlier this month, an oarfish washed ashore the Ocean Beach near Strahan in Tasmania. The three-metre-long doomsday fish was discovered by a resident, Sybil Robertson, during a beach walk.

In February, the rare deep-sea creature was again spotted in the shallow waters of Baja California Sur, along Mexico's Pacific Coast.