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Oarfish
Regalecus glesne Ascanius, 1772
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The Oarfish (view fact sheet) is metallic silver-blue, with blue-black blotches and wavy markings on the body, and pink to red fins.
The upper image shows a 4.6m long Oarfish that was stranded in June 1990 at Struibaai, South Africa. This fish is registered in the South African Museum (SAM 31834).
The second image shows a portion of the side of the same fish. The long-based dorsal fin that runs the entire length of the body, is visible at the top of the image.
The third image shows the elongate leading rays of the dorsal fin of an Oarfish caught off Paternoster, west coast, South Africa. A cast of this female fish is on display in the South African Museum.
The bottom image shows a closer view of the leading dorsal fin rays of the same fish. The rays have red spots and are ornamented with skin flaps.
M. Merwe and R. Rau (both from the South African Museum) and A. Taylor are gratefully acknowledged for supplying these images.
