Rare 'doomsday fish' spotted in Tamil Nadu: How did the deep-sea creature get its name?

The rarely seen oarfish, also known as 'Doomsday' fish, was caught in the net by fishermen in Tamil Nadu. (Image: X)

An oarfish, also known as the "doomsday fish", was recently caught off the Tamil Nadu coast by fishermen. This deep-sea creature, rarely seen near the surface, is thought to be a warning of impending natural disasters, as per an old Japanese belief.

Once rooted in Japanese legend as a harbinger of natural disasters, the oarfish is rarely encountered near the surface. But in the past few months, it has been spotted once in India and three times in Australia, New Zealand and California, both raising scientific curiosity as well as public alarm.

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

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.

How did the fish get its name?

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 impending natural disasters. In some cases, people have reported seeing oarfish washing ashore before major earthquakes, especially in Japan.

Its sightings preceded the 2011 Japan tsunami and the 2023 Taiwan quake, making the recent India sighting a serious and alarming sign.

The Japanese assume that the fish can sense underwater seismic activity and rise to the surface to warn humans. However, this theory has never been confirmed by science.

The creature usually lives in deep water and only returns to the surface when they are sick, dying or breeding.