What people have called the “doomsday fish” is actually the giant oarfish, or to be more scientific, Regalecus glesne. These large fish live in the deep sea, specifically the mesopelagic zone, 660 to 3,300 feet (200 to 1,000 meters) beneath the ocean’s surface.
Since oarfish live so deep beneath the surface, in a zone where the light from the surface has almost disappeared, they are rarely sighted. When they did make themselves known, their strange appearance — long, shiny, ribbon-shaped bodies with a red, spiny dorsal fin along their backs — people took notice.
Giant oarfish are the longest bony fish in the ocean, but like many aquatic giants, they are mostly harmless. Well, they’re harmless unless you happen to be one of the small crustaceans, zooplankton, squid or jellyfish that make up their diet.
