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Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Regal Oarfish: Longest Bony Fish in the Oceans

Oarfish, Regalecus Glesne: A 23-foot long Oarfish that washed up at the Naval Training Center, Coronado Island, Calif, September 1996.
Oarfish, Ribbonfish, King of Herrings

Oarfish, Regalecus glesne: The Oarfish is the sole member of the Regalecus Genus and sole member of the Regalecidae Family.

Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform fish comprising the small family Regalecidae.

Oarfish that washed ashore in Bermuda in 1860, originally described as a sea serpent The Oarfish has a metallic blue silver coloration with black lines and blotches along the sides.
Oarfish, Regalecus glesne: This rarely-seen example of a deep water oarfish washed up on Isla San Marcos, near Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico, on Dec. 27, 1993.
The oar fish is generally considered the longest fish in the world's oceans. Reports have been given of fish reaching a length of 41' and research accounts give estimates from 30 to 50' in length.
It is a member of the Regalecidae Family of fishes, classified as Regalecus glesne, "the royal" one, perhaps commonly named for its oar-like appendages, its particular form of movement (amniform) in the water or its highly compressed form. There are four species in two genera, within the Order Lampriformes.
They have a long, iconic dorsal fin extending the length of their body and have spiny projections emanating laterally from their caudal and pelvic fin rays. The scaleless fish actually lack true spines but the first 10 to 12 of the dorsal fin rays are elongated and quite distinct. The "king of herring" or"ribbonfish" is believed to be found in all tropical and temperate waters worldwide. It was first filmed alive in 2001 by U.S. Navy personnel in Bahamian waters.
They spend a large proportion of their hunting & gathering mode in the ocean sitting vertically upright with mouth agape waiting for planktonic wanderers. They have no visible teeth and most likely strain and filter-feed zooplankton.


Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F, J.C.M. Glover & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
Olney, J.E. Ii Paxton, J.R. & W.N. Eschmeyer (Eds). 1994. Encyclopedia of Fishes. Sydney: New South Wales University Press; San Diego: Academic Press [1995]. Pp. 240.




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