oarfish

noun oar·fish \ ˈȯr-ˌfish \

Updated on: 6 May 2018

Definition of oarfish

: a marine bony fish (Regalecus glesne) of subtropical waters with a narrow soft body from 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) long, a red dorsal fin running the entire length of the body, and red-tipped anterior rays rising above the head

Recent Examples of oarfish from the Web

A few days prior to the whale's discovery, marine science instructor Jasmine Santana found the 18-foot-long body of an oarfish while snorkeling off the coast of nearby Catalina Island.

— rebecca deczynski, Woman's Day, "Rare Saber-Toothed Whale Beached on Southern California Coast," 18 Oct. 2013
Deep-sea oarfish are the spitting-image of sea serpents.

— chris reeves, The Atlantic, "Did a Glowing Sea Creature Help Push the U.S. Into the Vietnam War?," 11 July 2017
Marine biologists are eager to learn more about the oarfish and its neighbors—surprisingly, so are biomechanicists.

— rachel brown, National Geographic, "Mysterious 'Sea Serpent' Oarfish Resurfaces," 17 Feb. 2017
A marine biology instructor spotted the carcass of an 18-foot oarfish — nature’s answer to the mythical sea serpent — while snorkeling.

— daniela hernandez, WIRED, "This Week’s Must-Reads: Real-Life Sea Monsters, High-End GIFs, and Bacon," 19 Oct. 2013
Earlier this month, an oarfish, a creature usually found in mesopelagic zones 200 to 1,000 feet below sea level, became the subject of fascination after surfacing in Carmen, Agusan Del Norte.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Mysterious "Hairy Blob" Washed Up on Philippines Beach," 27 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oarfish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.