Watch: Rare oarfish surprises beachgoers after washing ashore in Mexico
Oarfish are typically found in ocean depths ranging from 650 feet to more than 3,200 feet, according to the Florida Museum.
Rare oarfish washes ashore on Mexico beach
An oarfish was found on a beach in Mexico on Feb. 9. Beachgoers were surprised to see the unsual-looking fish. Oarfish typically stay in the deep sea and only come to shallow water if they're injured or dying.
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, Mexico – A rare deep-sea fish was recently found on a beach in Mexico.
Video from Feb. 9 showed the long, silvery fish washing onto the shores of Playa El Quemado, a beach in Baja California Sur.
According to Robert Robins, a collection manager for the Division of Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, oarfish are typically found in ocean depths ranging from 650 feet to more than 2,400 feet.
Beachgoers in the video echoed their surprise at seeing the unusual-looking fish on the beach. Robert Hayes recorded the video.
Silvery oarfish flops around on beach in Mexico.
(Robert Hayes via Storyful / FOX Weather)
In the video, the flat-bodied fish swims around in the shallow water before it lays flat on the beach, out of water.
Robins said when oarfish are found in shallow coastal waters like in the video above, it means they're experiencing some kind of psychological stressor. Robins said many oarfish found in this state will die from those stressors.
A bystander picks up the oarfish to try and help it get back into deeper water.
"This is amazing, it's the smallest one (oarfish) I've ever seen," the man said.
SEE IT: NIGHTMARISH DEEP-SEA FISH SPOTTED SWIMMING IN SHALLOWER WATERS
A man picks up an oarfish that washed up in Mexico on Feb. 9.
(Robert Hayes via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Oarfish can grow up to 36 feet in length, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. The one in the video appeared to be on the smaller side.
The fish have long, flat bodies with reddish-orange dorsal fin rays that run the entire length of the animal's body.
Oarfish have small mouths with no visible teeth, according to the museum. Their bodies get the silver appearance from guanine, not scales.
Oarfish tries to swim away after washing up on a beach in Mexico.
(Robert Hayes via Storyful / FOX Weather)
In a later clip of the video, the fish tries to swim away but doesn't get too far.
"The fish swam straight at us, lifting its head above the water about two inches," Hayes told Storyful. "We redirected it three times out to the water, but it came back each time."
Hayes told Storyful that the man who picked up the fish in the video said he would bring it to a marine biologist, assuming the oarfish was injured.
While oarfish don't present a direct danger to humans, Robins said the safest thing to do is just observe the fish. He said if you encounter an oarfish that is stranded and recently deceased, it might be saved for research.
"We know comparatively little about these fascinating fish," Robins said.