Are Oarfish Dangerous?

No, Oarfish are not dangerous. In fact, Oarfish is considered one of the most friendly and harmless marine creatures. Although it’s quite natural to consider themselves as dangerous due to their gigantic body structure, in reality, they aren’t dangerous at all. They are peace loving and harmless!

Oarfish have a massive length of around 36 feet and weights around 300 kg on average. Due to having gigantic structures, they’re known as sea monsters to many people.

So it’s quite common to think that they’re dangerous. But in reality, it’s quite the opposite!

So if you want to know about Oarfish and whether they’re dangerous or not, you’re at the right place. In this guide, we’ll find out and answer questions regarding are Oarfish dangerous? So don’t just believe in the myths; read to the end and find it out by yourself!

Are Oarfish Dangerous?

No, Oarfish aren’t dangerous.

Oarfish have a mammoth body structure. Being around 36 feet in length and almost 300 kg in weight, they’re mostly known as sea monsters. On top of that, Oarfish don’t really come to the shore quite often. They prefer to live in deep water.

Due to their rare public appearance and huge body structure, people consider them to be dangerous. Besides, the funniest part is live Oarfish have been rarely caught. And there isn’t even a single case of people getting hurt by Oarfish!

Still, people judge Oarfish by their huge body structure and call them sea monsters. Besides, the rare appearance of Oarfish adds some spice to this myth!

Oarfish are peace-loving. Even being so huge in shape, there are hardly any cases of them making mischief. They love to survive in the deepest layer of water, move freely in the ocean, and sometimes they’re found living with other fishes.

So from this, you can easily understand that Oarfish are not dangerous.

Are Oarfish Actually Monsters?

People judge Oarfish for their body shape, structure, and weight. And based on that, they’re often called sea monsters by people. But the reality is Oarfish are not monsters!

Only a handful of Oarfish were found alive by humans. But in most cases, they’re either injured or already dead. Sea or Ocean currents carried them to the shore.

There are some obvious reasons behind people considering Oarfish as sea monsters.

Firstly, Oarfish make rare appearances to people. So when they see one all of a sudden, they can’t process the fact that a marine creature would be so gigantic!

Secondly, there has been little research on Oarfish compared to other marine creatures. The main reason is, Oarfish live in greater depths at around 200 m. As there was little research about them, a brief history of their behaviour and habitat couldn’t be known. That’s why people believe what they’ve heard for years. And even today, Oarfish are called sea monsters in some parts of the world, especially in Japan.

Thirdly, in ancient Japanese history, it was believed that Oarfish only come to the shore on the verge of an earthquake or Tsunami. It was believed that Oarfish could predict these natural calamities and come to the shore. So this was also a reason behind calling them monsters.

But research showed that Oarfish couldn’t predict earthquakes or Tsunamis, and the entire thing was just a myth!

As you’ve already read this far, I think you know why Oarfish are called sea monsters and now know that this is just a myth believed by ancient Japanese people.

Do Oarfish Attack Humans?

Oarfish have only made a few public appearances and got caught by locals. But there are no reports available of them attacking people.

Oarfish are peace-loving, friendly, and not at all dangerous. Even in the marine world, they are known to be friendly. So Oarfish are harmless.

Oarfish never have any intention of hurting people. They love to live alone in the deepest layer of the seas. It reportedly didn’t hurt anyone, even when an alive oarfish was caught on the shore.

Can you believe it? Being around 300 kg, it didn’t try to attack people who were capturing them. So from this, it can be said that Oarfish don’t attack.

However, for self-defence, Oarfish can sometimes attack people. So if you ever encounter one at the beach or any place, it’s recommended not to go near them and maintain a safe distance.

Can Oarfish Bite?

 Oarfish have no visible and real teeth. So the question comes, can they bite?

Well, as they’ve no teeth, it’s clear that Oarfish cannot bite. Like Oarfish, Giant oarfish also possess no teeth. So they cannot bite as well.

So you might wonder how they eat. Well, they have got a special duct in their mouth called the gill raker. With the use of a gill raker, Oarfish prey and eat food.

Although Oarfish are friendly and do not harm people, and on top of that, they don’t bite, it’s recommended to keep your distance from them.

While in self-defence, Oarfish can flap their fins or tails or move any part of their body. As they’re gigantic, any slight movement can harm you. So for your betterment, always maintain a space with them.

Can Oarfish Kill You?

As you’ve read this far, you already know that Oarfish are peace-loving and not dangerous at all. There hasn’t been any proof of Oarfish attacking human beings or hurting them. Besides, as Oarfish and giant Oarfish have no teeth, they cannot bite.

So you might think that you cannot get hurt or killed by Oarfish, right? Well, I hate to say it, but you’re wrong!

Oarfish can kill you. Yes, even if they’re friendly but you can get hurt or even get killed by an Oarfish.

Oarfish are almost 300 kg in weight. They’ve big fins and long tails. Although the Oarfish found on the shore are mostly dead yet, alive ones have been found too.

The living ones are primarily observed by specialists and then released in the water. So while catching them, there can be the possibility of getting hurt or killed by those friendly oarfish as they can use those long-heavy tails for self-defence to protect themselves from being caught.

Are Oarfish Friendly?

Yes, you might be surprised to hear this, but Oarfish are actually friendly.

Oarfish have big bodies and massive weights. Despite this giant structure, Oarfish don’t like violence. They live alone in the water and are peace-loving.

In fact, Oarfish are one of the friendliest marine creatures. Although they don’t often come near the shore, still, they are extremely friendly.

The oarfish found on the shores caused no harm to the people in their surroundings.

Due to their big structure, they are termed monsters.

 But as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. Like this, you shouldn’t judge the behaviour of Oarfish by their massive body.

Conclusion

There have been myths regarding Oarfish for centuries. And even today, people tend to believe in those stories and consider Oarfish dangerous.

But as you’ve read this far, you know now that Oarfish are friendly, peace-loving, and hardly dangerous to people. In fact, they might be the most harmless marine creature.

So are Oarfish dangerous? Well, we believe you’ve got your answer, right? So next time anyone comes to you and says that Oarfish are dangerous, it’s your responsibility to correct them and enlighten them with the facts we’ve shared in this article!