'Doomsday fish': Once-in-a-lifetime sea creature encountered in Monterey Bay (sfgate.com)

Mirror: https://archive.ph/Gfz0g

> Other members of the group were quick to point out that sightings of ribbon fish in shallow water have historically been an omen of earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan, with one person even calling it a “doomsday fish.” But as it turns out, that legend concerns a very similar-looking cousin of the king-of-the-salmon: the oarfish.

So, not a doomsday fish. Still cool though.

No mention of where the name comes from? It comes from the legends of Pacific-Northwest native peoples. Not Japan. Washington and British Columbia.

So this awful website hijacked my back button, directed me to an ad, and instead of telling me the name of the fish immediately, made me search for it deep in the article

Yeah, no wonder the web is dying

Once in a lifetime might be overstating it. A handful appeared near San Diego in 2024[1], and several were observed in New Zealand and the Canary Islands last year. Wonder if this is a case of surveillance bias as a result of easier communication or an actual increase in appearances

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/15/oarfish-cali...

> Don't let Google decide who you trust. > Make SFGATE a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.

Lol