oarfish


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oar·fish

 (ôr′fĭsh′)
n. pl. oarfish or oar·fish·es
Any of several marine fishes of the family Regalecidae, especially Regalecus glesne, having a slender silvery body up to 11 meters (36 feet) in length, a crimson dorsal fin along its entire length, and long thin pelvic fins.
[Perhaps from the oarlike appearance of the pelvic fins.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

oarfish

(ˈɔːˌfɪʃ)
n, pl -fish or -fishes
(Animals) a very long ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, with long slender ventral fins. Also called: king of the herrings
[C19: referring to the flattened oarlike body]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

oar•fish

(ˈɔrˌfɪʃ, ˈoʊr-)

n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish, (esp. for kinds or species) -fish•es.
any long, ribbon-shaped, deep-sea fish of the genus Regalecus, having a fin along the back that rises to a crest: up to 30 ft. (9 m) long.
[1855–60]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.oarfish - thin deep-water tropical fish 20 to 30 feet long having a red dorsal finoarfish - thin deep-water tropical fish 20 to 30 feet long having a red dorsal fin
king of the herring, Regalecus glesne, ribbonfish
malacopterygian, soft-finned fish - any fish of the superorder Malacopterygii
genus Regalecus, Reglaecus - type genus of the Regalecidae
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
A 10.5-feet oarfish was spotted along the coast New Washington in Aklan, Monday morning.
Oarfish washed ashore in Aklan
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Japan fears earthquake and tsunami after MASSIVE deep-sea fishes caught alive; Japan believes a natural disaster is brewing as it regards oarfish as symbols of doom
Sightings of the rare oarfish in Japan have raised fear and speculation amongst the people of an incoming natural disaster, as the deep-water fish is believed to be a harbinger of earthquakes and tsunamis, the media reported on Saturday.
Rare fish sightings in Japan raise quake, tsunami fears
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LOS ANGELES, City, Sha'ban 17, 1436, Jun 4, 2015, SPA -- A dead oarfish, a mysterious and serpent-like creature that swims deep below the ocean's surface, has washed up on a Southern California island and a university biologist will study the remains, officials said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
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Oarfish, a twenty-seven-foot-tall soft sculpture representing the titular deep-sea creature, its silver silk body speckled with sumi-ink brushstrokes, presided over Paul Heyer's second solo exhibition at Night Gallery.
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13, the body of an 18-foot oarfish was dragged from the water onto Santa Catalina Island off the California coast, presenting a rare opportunity for local scientists to study one of the world's most elusive and awe-inspiring big fish.
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