Rare whalefish seen in California by a deep-sea rover

Updated: 10:08 PM EDT Aug 13, 2021

A rare fish, which much is unknown about, was captured by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) cameras in Monterey Bay. According to MBARI, whalefishes have rarely been collected alive and much of their biology remains a mystery to this day. Even MBARI's deep-see remote-operated vehicles have only spotted this species 18 times in 34 years. According to MBARI scientists, "Whalefishes (order Cetomimiformes) lack external scales and pelvic fins, and in adults, the eyes are very primitive and small. The eyes’ lenses are lost after they transform from the larval stage, and with it, they lose the ability to form images."But instead of relying on sight to survive, they have an incredible ability to feel their surroundings. They have a highly sensitive lateral line system, with sensory pores that run over the head and down the length of the body to help them feel vibrations in the water around them."Watch the video above to see the fish.

Beachgoers in Oregon last week caught a glimpse of a large, rarely-seen fish when a 100-pound opah washed ashore.

The three-and-a-half foot long, silver-and-deep-orange fish washed ashore July 14 on Sunset Beach in Seaside, Oregon, located in the state's northwest corner.

Officials with the Seaside Aquarium said that while it's unclear how the fish died, they found it in "great shape," meaning it likely died near the shoreline.

"It created quite the stir at the Aquarium where folks were encouraged to come take a look at this beautiful and odd looking fish," the aquarium said in a Facebook post.

The Seaside Aquarium said the last time an opah was spotted in the area was in 2009 when a fisherman hooked a 97 pound opah off the Columbia River Mouth.

Not much is known about the opah, which is sometimes referred to as the "moonfish." They typically live deep in the ocean, making it difficult for scientists to track their behavior and environment.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), opah fish are typically found in "tropical and temperate waters."

Heidi Dewar, a research biologist with NOAA, told The Washington Post that the changing climate might be the reason why the rare disc-shaped fish found itself in the Pacific Northwest.

"We are seeing some marine organisms moving northward as ocean temperatures increase," Dewar said.

Officials with the Seaside Aquarium recovered the fish. They say they will freeze the specimen until later this year when they say they'll select a school group to dissect the fish.