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Giantoarfish
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Thegiantoarfish(Regalecusglesne)isaspeciesofoarfishofthefamily
Regalecidae.Itisanoceanodromousspecieswithaworldwidedistribution, Giantoarfish
excludingpolarregions.OthercommonnamesincludePacificoarfish,
kingofherrings,ribbonfish,andstreamerfish.[1]

R.glesneistheworld'slongestbonyfish.Itsshapeisribbonlike,narrow
laterally,withadorsalfinalongitsentirelength,stubbypectoralfins,and
long,oarshapedpelvicfins,fromwhichitscommonnameisderived.Its AtaxidermiedspecimenofRegalecus
colorationissilverywithdarkmarkings,anditsfinsarered.Itsphysical glesneinNaturhistorischesMuseum
characteristicsanditsundulatingmodeofswimminghaveledto
speculationthatitmightbethesourceofmany"seaserpent"sightings. Wien.

Conservationstatus

Contents
1 Taxonomy LeastConcern(IUCN3.1)[1]
2 Distribution
3 Description Scientificclassification
4 Behavior
5 Relationshipwithhumans Kingdom: Animalia
6 References Phylum: Chordata
7 Furtherreading
8 Externallinks Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lampriformes
Taxonomy
Family: Regalecidae
R.glesnewasfirstdescribedbyPeterAscaniusin1772.Thegenusname, Genus: Regalecus
Regalecus,signifies"belongingtoaking"thespecificepithetglesneis
from"Glesnaes",thenameofafarmatGlesvr(notfarfromNorway's Species: R.glesne
secondlargestcityofBergen),wherethetypespecimenwasfound.[3] Binomialname

Its"kingofherrings"nicknamemayderivefromitscrownlikeappendages Regalecusglesne
andfrombeingsightednearshoalsofherring,whichfishermenthought Ascanius,1772
werebeingguidedbythisfish.[4]Itscommonname,oarfish,isprobablyan
allusiontotheshapeofitspelvicfins,orelseitmayrefertothelong Synonyms[2]
slendershapeofthefishitself.
Cephalepisoctomaculatus
Distribution Rafinesque,1810
CepolagladiusWalbaum,
Thegiantoarfishisfoundworldwideintheupperlayersoftheopenocean
1792
(thepelagiczone).Itisbelievedtobeoceanodromous,followingits
GymnetrusascaniiShaw,
primaryfoodsource.[5]Ithasbeenfoundasfarnorthas72Nandasfar
1803

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southas52S,butismostcommoninthetropicstomiddlelatitudes.Itis Gymnetrusbanksii
thoughttoinhabitthesunlitepipelagictodimlylitmesopelagiczones,
Valenciennes,1835
rangingasdeeplyas1,000m(3,300ft)belowthesurface.[6]
Gymnetruscapensis

Description Valenciennes,1835
Gymnetrusgladius
Thisspeciesistheworld'slongest Valenciennes,1835
bonyfish,reachingarecordlength GymnetrusgrilliiLindroth,
of11m(36ft)however,
1798
unconfirmedspecimensofupto
17m(56ft)havebeenreported.[7]It GymnetrushawkeniiBloch,
iscommonlymeasuredto3m 1795
1895illustrationofRegalecusglesne (9.8ft)intotallength.The Gymnetruslongiradiatus
maximumrecordedweightofa
Risso,1820
giantoarfishis270kg(600lb).[7]
Gymnetrustelum
Itsshapeisribbonlike,narrow Valenciennes,1835
laterally,withadorsalfinalongits
Regalecusbanksii
entirelengthfrombetweenitseyes
tothetipofitstail.Thefinraysare (Valenciennes,1835)
Skeleton softandmaynumberupto400or Regalecuscaudatus
more.Attheheadofthefish,the Zugmayer,1914
raysarelengthenedformingadistinctiveredcrest.Itspectoralandpelvic
finsarenearlyadjacent.Thepectoralfinsarestubbywhilethepelvicfins RegalecusjonesiiNewman,
arelong,singlerayed,andreminiscentofanoarinshape,wideningatthe 1860
tip.Itsheadissmallwiththeprotrusiblejawtypicaloflampriformesithas RegalecusmasteriiDeVis,
40to58gillrakers,andnoteeth.[8] 1891

Theorgansofthegiantoarfishareconcentratedtowardtheheadendofthe RegalecuspacificusHaast,
body,possiblyenablingittosurvivelosinglargeportionsofitstail.[7]Ithas 1878
noswimbladder.TheliverofR.glesneisorangeorred,thelikelyresultof RegalecusremipesBrnnich,
astaxanthininitsdiet.[9]Thelaterallinebeginsaboveandbehindtheeye 1788
then,descendingtothelowerthirdofthebody,extendstothecaudaltip.[10]

TheskinofR.glesneisscalelessbutcoveredwithtubercles.Theskincolor
issilverwithstreaks,spotsorsplotchesofblackordarkgray,andabluishorbrownishtingeonthehead.Itsfins,
includingitslongdorsalfinandcrest,arered,againprobablyresultingfromitsdiet.[9]

Behavior
Littleisknownaboutoarfishbehavior.Ithasbeenobservedswimmingbymeansofitsdorsalfin,andalso
swimminginaverticalposition.In2010,scientistsfilmedagiantoarfishintheGulfofMexicoswimminginthe
mesopelagiclayer,thefirstfootageofareliablyidentifiedR.glesneinitsnaturalsetting.Thefootagewascaught
duringasurvey,usinganROVinthevicinityofThunderHorsePDQ,andshowsthefishswimminginacolumnar
orientation,taildownward.[11]

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Itfeedsonkrillandothersmallcrustaceans,aswellassmallfishandsquid.
ItisknowntospawnfromJulytoDecember.Theeggsare2.5mm(0.1in)
large,[12]andfloatnearthesurfaceuntilhatching.Itslarvaearealso
observednearthesurfaceduringthisseason.[7]Asanadultitisbelievedto
besolitary.

R.glesnejuvenile

Relationshipwithhumans
R.glesneisnotfishedcommercially,butisanoccasionalbycatchincommercialnets,andassuchithasbeen
marketed.[2][7]

Becausetheyarenotoftenseenandbecauseoftheirsize,elongatedbodies,andappearance,giantoarfishare
presumedtoberesponsibleforsomeseaserpentsightings.[13]Formerlyconsideredrare,thespeciesisnow
suspectedtobecomparativelycommon,[7]althoughsightingsofhealthyspecimensintheirnaturalhabitatremain
veryunusual.

MembersofaBUD/Sclassdisplaya23foot(7m)giantoarfish
discoveredbytheirinstructoronthebeachofNavalAmphibious
BaseCoronadoin1996. [14]

References
Citations

1.SmithVaniz,W.F.(2015)."Regalecusglesne".TheIUCNRedListofThreatenedSpecies2015:e.T190378A21911480.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.20154.RLTS.T190378A21911480.en.
2.Froese,RainerandPauly,Daniel,eds.(2013)."Regalecusglesne"(http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.p
hp?genusname=Regalecus&speciesname=glesne)inFishBase.February2013version.
3.Jordan,DavidStarrEvermann,BartonW.(1898)."FishesofNorthandMiddleAmerica:2971.Regalecusglesne".
BulletinoftheUnitedStatesNationalMuseum.3(47):25962597.Retrieved3March2013.
4.Minelli,AlessandroMinelli,MariaP.(1997).GreatBookofAnimals:theComprehensiveIllustratedGuideto750
SpeciesandtheirEnvironments.Philadelphia,Pa.:CourageBooks.p.102.ISBN0762401370.
5.SchmitterSoto,Juan(2008)."TheOarfish,Regalecusglesne(Teleostei:Regalecidae),intheWesternCaribbean"(PDF).
CaribbeanJournalofScience.UniversityofPuertoRico,Mayaguez.44(1):125128.doi:10.18475/cjos.v44i1.a13.
Retrieved4March2013.

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6.Olney,J.E.(2005)."Regalecidae:Oarfishes".InRichards,WilliamJ.EarlyStagesofAtlanticFishes:AnIdentification
GuidefortheWesternCentralNorthAtlantic.CRCPress.p.1019.ISBN9780203500217.
7.Burton,MauriceBurton,Robert(2002).InternationalWildlifeEncyclopedia(3rded.).NewYork:MarshallCavendish.
pp.17671768.ISBN0761472797.
8.Nelson,JosephS.(2006).FishesoftheWorld(4thed.).Hoboken,NJ:Wiley.p.230.ISBN9780471250319.
9.Fox,DenisL.(1976).AnimalBiochromesandStructuralColours:Physical,Chemical,Distributional&Physiological
FeaturesofColouredBodiesintheAnimalWorld(2ded.).Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress.p.141.ISBN0
520023471.
10.Ruiz,AnaE.Gosztonyi,AtilaE.(2010)."RecordsofregalecidfishesinArgentinewaters"(PDF).Zootaxa.2509:62
66.ISSN11755334.Retrieved15March2013.
11.Bourton,Jody(8February2010)."GiantbizarredeepseafishfilmedinGulfofMexico".BBCNews.Retrieved
16March2013.
12.Hureau,J.C.(ed.)."Oarfish(Regalecusglesne)".FishesoftheNEAtlanticandtheMediterranean.Retrieved3March
2013viaMarineSpeciesIdentificationPortal.
13.Ellis,Richard(2006).MonstersoftheSea(1stLyonsPressed.).NewYork,NY:LyonsPress.p.43.ISBN1592289673.
14.Carstens,John(April1997)."SEALSfindserpentofthesea"(PDF).AllHands.NavalMediaCenter.pp.2021.
Retrieved22October2013.

Furtherreading
"Regalecusglesne".IntegratedTaxonomicInformationSystem.
Benfield,M.C.Cook,S.Sharuga,S.Valentine,M.M.(July2013)."Fiveinsituobservationsoflive
oarfishRegalecusglesne(Regalecidae)byremotelyoperatedvehiclesintheoceanicwatersofthenorthern
GulfofMexico".JournalofFishBiology.83(1):2838.doi:10.1111/jfb.12144.
Glover,J.C.M.(1994).Gomon,M.F.Kuiter,R.H.,eds.TheFishesofAustralia'sSouthCoast.Adelaide:
StatePrint.
Roberts,TysonR.(2012).Systematics,Biology,andDistributionoftheSpeciesoftheOceanicOarfish
GenusRegalecus:(Teleostei,Lampridiformes,Regalecidae).FrenchNationalMuseumNaturalHistory.
ISBN9782856536773.

Externallinks
Giant'SeaSerpent'CaughtonCamera(https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=lvRqqwBoyx8),DiscoveryNewsatYouTube.Footageofan Wikispecieshasinformation
relatedto:Regalecusglesne
oarfishswimminginthemesopelagiclayer.
"Mythicalseacreaturecapturedonfilm"(http://www.iol.co.za/scitec
h/science/environment/mythicalseacreaturecapturedonfilm1.157 WikimediaCommonshas
8607#.UlAMqhDissw),articleabouteffortstobandeepseabottom mediarelatedtoRegalecus
trawlingwithvideoofR.glesne glesne.
RecentExaminationsoftheOarfish,Regalecusglesne,fromthe
NorthSea.(http://yorkshirecoastmaritimearchive.co.uk/?p=225)YorkshireCoastSealife,Fisheries&
MaritimeArchive&Museum

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giant_oarfish&oldid=752077588"

Categories: IUCNRedListleastconcernspecies Regalecidae FishoftheAtlanticOcean

FishofthePacificOcean FishofNorthAmerica FishoftheUnitedStates FishofMexico
FishofthePhilippines FishofSouthAmerica FishofAsia FishofEurope Animalsdescribedin1772
Megafauna

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