Recent Oarfish (Regalecus) Sightings Primarily Occur in the Region of the Tectonic Plate Boundaries

The oarfish (Regalecus spp. Teleostei, lampridiformes) is a deep sea fish primarily found from 100-1000m. Although the distribution is wide, samples are rarely found. Most sightings occur when oarfish strand on coastal beaches. There is bias in reporting of oarfish sightings with most sightings (prior to the age of the internet) being reported near to sites of news media and and in the English Language (USA, Australia, South Africa, Japan). Traditionally oarfish have been known as earthquake fish in Japanese indigenous folklore, as they are thought to be sighted before earthquakes. While this association is unproven, data analysed from 1995 onwards show that sightings do occur (more often than would be expected by chance) close to tectonic plate boundaries.