Oarfish, Regalecus glesne

Plate 145. Banks' Oar-Fish, Regalecus banksi (now known as the Oarfish, Regalecus glesne) found between Victoria and Tasmania

So few examples of this fish have been observed, and those described were so imperfect, that I am glad to be able to give a figure and description of an Australian one, caught in the waters between the Tasmanian and Victorian coasts, in May, 1878. The tail is more nearly perfect than in any other described one, although, unfortunately, slightly mutilated now in stuffing, but to so small an extent that I give a figure of this part, natural size, to show the defect exactly.

The silvering of the surface comes off at every touch, like the dust on a moth's wing.

I have little doubt that this fish is the "Sea Serpent" of the popular accounts in the newspapers of observations made far out at sea by captains of ships, perfectly trustworthy, but not sufficiently instructed in zoology to give good descriptions. The Regalecus like the Trachypterus, is so excessively fragile that it is obvious it could only live in the depths of the ocean, far from land, where the water is still and free from the turbulence of the shallow soundings near the coasts, in which the majority of ordinary fishes flourish; and the few specimens which have been caught were dead or dying, and much damaged in the shallow waters. As one recorded measured 24ft. with a depth of about 1, we have here no inconsiderable approach to the dimensions reported of the "Sea Serpent." Making some reasonable allowance for the portion not exposed above the surface, and bearing in mind that many fishes continue to grow as long as they live, we may reasonably expect far longer specimens to exist in their proper habitats far from the land, and occasionally showing on the surface there with just the appearance usually described, namely, a small head, with a "tall crest" and a fin along the back. Now there are Sea Snakes, well known, of small size, but no snakes or serpents have a crest and fin along the back; while the description is fairly matched by our fish. I think captains of ships are too familiar with Seals, Conger Eels, or long stretches of ocean seaweeds to mistake any of them, as different authors have suggested, for a "Sea Serpent," but the Regalecus, from its great rarity, would be quite unfamiliar, and its form would suggest a serpent to an untrained observer.

The specimen caught by three Cullercoats fishermen, 6 miles from shore, in 20-30 fathoms water, was first seen lying on its side on the top of the water, obviously dying. As they approached it righted itself and came towards them with a gentle, lateral undulating motion, showing its crest and part of the head above water. On being struck it made off with a vigorous vertical undulating motion, disappearing rapidly below the surface. It was brought to Newcastle next morning, and is the one described by Mr. Hancock and Dr. Embleton in the Annals of Natural History for July, 1849. Being destitute of teeth the creature is, of course, perfectly harmless, and probably feeds on minute crustacea and medusæ.