The Oarfish may have gotten its name from either the shape of its body or the shape of the spines that jut out from its pelvic fins. The fish uses these spines for navigation. It is often seen swimming vertically in the water, pointing its head straight up. Like many deep-sea creatures, it has large eyes that help it see well in the dark, and "lures" that hang down and off to each side of the fish. These "lures" are ribbon-like and have with a yellow diamond-shaped tip. The bright yellow attracts fish, and the Oarfish can then grab them with its protruding mouth. Pink or red spiny fins extend from its head straight up in an "A" shape. This helps the fish protect itself from predators. Red or pink colorations on a fish are a warning to predators and a type of camouflage. In the ocean, red cannot be seen easily because of the lack of light, and red to a fish that can see it means "danger!"
The Oarfish is a monster of the deep, but is it the Loch Ness Monster? The reason scientists are considering this possibility is because the size, shape, and swimming style of the Oarfish are so similar to accounts of Loch Ness Monster sightings. Oarfish have been found washed-up on beaches, and do sometimes swim closer to the water surface. They are found worldwide in all tropical and temperate waters. About 300 sightings of Oarfish have been recorded. This once-rare fish seems to be making its way into other water systems. There are dozens of Loch Ness Monster sightings every year, and ""South Bay Bessie", a North American sea monster, is reported to be living in Lake Erie's western basin near Huron, Ohio. Lake Okanagan in Vancouver, British Columbia has a sea monster also. The natives named it Ogopogo, after a character in a song.
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