The fish is called +Regalecus russelii+ or the +Streamer fish.+ It is a member of the Oarfish family and lives 1,000m beneath the sea and is rarely seen on the surface unless sick or dying. They also happen to look like some sort of mythical sea serpent.
It's no wonder that there is a legend surrounding the fish. In Japanese folklore the Oarfish acts as a messenger of warning from the Sea God's Palace. Whenever they appear on the beaches of Japan, an earthquake is imminent.
The oarfish is an extraordinary looking animal. Finding a fish that looks like a sea serpent is likely to make a strong impression on anybody's mind. If a second extraordinary thing such as an earthquake happens later on, it is human nature to connect the two events even if there is no actual connection between them.
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