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[NotWii]

These things!

The appearance of the fish follows Saturday's destructive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile and the January 12 tremors in Haiti, which claimed an estimated 200,000 lives.

A quake with a magnitude of 6.4 has also struck southern Taiwan.

This rash of tectonic movements around the Pacific "Rim of Fire" is heightening concern that Japan - the most earthquake-prone country in the world - is next in line for a major earthquake.

Those concerns have been stoked by the unexplained appearance of a fish that is known traditionally as the Messenger from the Sea God's Palace.

The giant oarfish can grow up to five metres in length and is usually to be found at depths of 1,000 metres and very rarely above 200 metres from the surface. Long and slender with a dorsal fin the length of its body, the oarfish resembles a snake.

In recent weeks, 10 specimens have been found either washed ashore or in fishing nets off Ishikawa Prefecture, half-a-dozen have been caught in nets off Toyama Prefecture and others have been reported in Kyoto, Shimane and Nagasaki prefectures, all on the northern coast.

According to traditional Japanese lore, the fish rise to the surface and beach themselves to warn of an impending earthquake - and there are scientific theories that bottom-dwelling fish may very well be susceptible to movements in seismic fault lines and act in uncharacteristic ways in advance of an earthquake - but experts here are placing more faith in their constant high-tech monitoring of the tectonic plates beneath the surface.

"In ancient times Japanese people believed that fish warned of coming earthquakes, particularly catfish," Hiroshi Tajihi, deputy director of the Kobe Earthquake Centre, told the Daily Telegraph.

"But these are just old superstitions and there is no scientific relationship between these sightings and an earthquake," he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...men-spells-earthquake-disaster-for-Japan.html

 

[elitehebrew]

 

[Slayven]

It's cool Deerman took care of the catfish.

 

[pirata]

My God, look at that thing!

 

[Branduil]

That's one hideous fish.

 

[NotWii]

That's one hideous fish.

How dare you!

*hugs oarfish*

 

[layzie1989]

hai guys whats goin on in here?!

 

[btkadams]

fuck i fucking hate fish. they scare the shit out of me.

 

[NotWii]

Oarfish are so cool :3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUaL6hHluZ8

 

[flawfuls]

Wow thats straight out of Children of the Sea

Same kind of fish and everything. I expect magical sea people to start disappearing soon.

 

[scorcho]

i just wanted to note that i had delicious yakitori tonight in midtown manhattan.

that is all. go japan.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

I'm pretty sure that's just the genitalia of the gentleman on the left. Most impressive.

 

[El Sloth]

I'm pretty sure that's just the genitalia of the gentleman on the left. Most impressive.

:lol Can't unsee it!

 

[MrToughPants]

I'm pretty sure that's just the genitalia of the gentleman on the left. Most impressive.

World's biggest fish stick.

Awesome looking fish, as are most deepsea fish.

 

[Ephemeris]

...what a weird looking fish.

 

[Kaeru]

Incredible.
Japan rules as always.

 

[DonMigs85]

fuck i fucking hate fish. they scare the shit out of me.

What a wimp!

 

[El Sloth]

What a wimp!

Goldfish

I counter with:

 

[kittens]

I'm pretty sure that's just the genitalia of the gentleman on the left. Most impressive.

hahahaha. :lol

 

[Ducks]

If I saw that fish irl I would die of fright.


But it's awesome

 

[radios shipping overview]

If I saw that fish irl I would die of fright.


But it's awesome

It just sort of floats there, vertically, catching falling food-stuff in its mouth.

 

[elwes]

Why do deep sea fish always look like horrific water demons? D:

 

[suzu]

Wow thats straight out of Children of the Sea

http://i45.tinypic.com/b47y38.png

Same kind of fish and everything. I expect magical sea people to start disappearing soon.

heh, the same thing popped into my head. :lol


And yeah, the deep sea creatures always look the freakiest...

 

[a Master Ninja]

Why do deep sea fish always look like horrific water demons? D:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZXHHnysIWU&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Nothing is worse than

Spoiler

that Bon Jovi song.

It's from the deepest depths of hell.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

That's cool. I've never heard of these things before.

 

[Furoba]

Lets hope the catfish will stay quiet for a little while more...

 

[teruterubozu]

HOLY SHIT!

What's that gaijin kid doing there?

 

[Rentahamster]

HOLY SHIT!

What's that gaijin kid doing there?

The pic in the OP is from Mexico.

http://www.islasanmarcos.com/oarfish.html

 

[JaseC]

I'd like to see Rex Hunt kiss that thing. Although, he'd probably just fight it instead.