Overview

• Dog walker Sybil Robertson discovered a roughly two-metre oarfish on Ocean Beach near Strahan, spotting its intact silvery form before scavengers arrived.
• Authorities swiftly collected tissue samples for CSIRO experts to study as eagles and crows rapidly began scavenging the rare specimen.
• The species inhabits depths of 150 to 1,000 meters and can exceed eight meters in length while feeding on plankton in open waters.
• Fish biologists dismiss folklore casting oarfish as harbingers of natural disasters, noting no evidence of predictive behavior before seismic events.
• Prior strandings in California and Mexico have fueled scientific interest, but this Tasmanian find provides fresh material for deep-sea research.