On one ordinary, unremarkable autumn evening on September 24, 1963, a resident of the village of Malibu, in California, saw strange movements on the local beach. Carol Richards (that was the woman's name) was calmly walking her dog and encountered a huge monster on the ocean shore. The echo of the scream could be heard in the surrounding area for a long time.
Luckily, Carol's neighbor quickly responded to the screams and rushed for help, then ran to the beach. What they saw shocked everyone present, and within a few minutes the entire village gathered in one place, and rumors about the “sea” monster spread with lightning speed...
As reported in the report of local police, the actions developed as follows: North Young, who was passing by, loaded a huge beast onto the roof of his car and was about to deliver it to the local authorities. But before he had even driven a few hundred meters, he was stopped by patrolmen who quickly turned the light from the headlights of their official car onto the roof and were shocked. In bewilderment, the police called experts to the scene. Among the team of researchers were Boyd Walker and Vlad Walter, a professor of zoology and zoologist at the University of California.
After sending the strange creature to the laboratory, carrying out various activities and analyzes, it was possible to determine that the monster found in an almost detective manner is one of the rarest fish in the World Ocean called herring king, or belt fish.
The first specimen from the village of Malibu is still kept in the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. According to its staff, it still retains its original appearance and is an incredible value. Only the tail part was deformed, on which there are traces of sharp teeth - evidence of a shark attack.
Why was the fish called the "Sea Serpent"?
It becomes clear why for centuries fishermen mistook the silhouette of a creature wriggling in the water for a sea serpent. When studying the herring king, scientists identified an interesting fact: if in the past one of the eyewitnesses told people about an encounter with this monster, he might be considered crazy and take the story for delusion or hallucinations. But now it is easy to assume that Aristotle, Planius and other legendary classics, when talking about sea serpents, paid attention to the herring king. Including a giant caught in 1808, almost 19 meters long, was a representative of this species.
But the numerous encounters of fishing sailors with the belt fish, which repeatedly swam to the surface and showed its amazing, terrifying body, served the basis for the creation of numerous legends about the “sea serpent”. Some of them talk about a creature with a horse's head and a flowing mane of fiery red color. Most likely, eyewitnesses mistook for it the long rays of the dorsal fin, which create a characteristic “plume” on the head of this underwater inhabitant.
Description
The herring king fish has a fascinating appearance. Despite her terrifying and mystical appearance, she is considered the most beautiful sea creature that man has ever encountered. The body length of an adult individual often exceeds 18 meters, but in most cases people manage to catch 3.5-5 meter specimens. The belt fish ranks first on the list of the longest bony fish and entered into the Guinness Book of Records. But even such an impressive length does not prevent the creature from having a small width, which rarely exceeds 7 centimeters.
It was due to this physiological feature that the creature began to be called a belt fish. On the body of the herring king there are unique scales of a bright light silver color, which are covered with dark spots and stripes. It should be noted that fish no swim bladder, characteristic of other representatives of marine fauna. The head is dark blue. The main decoration of this amazing animal is its fiery mane, which creates beautiful movements while swimming. Because of this, he is called the king.
In addition, the mane serves as a dorsal fin, which stands out with beautiful red rays. The side fins are also very elegant - they are colored crimson. The fish uses them as oars, swinging them over the water. Nevertheless, many ichthyologists, including D. Olney, are confident that the fin serves as an organ of taste perception.
The fish differs from its fellows not only in its unique appearance, but also behavioral features:
First facts and real encounters with a sea serpent
In addition to the officially recorded meeting with the mystical creature in 1963, the herring king was seen many centuries ago. For example, the first mentions of the “sea serpent” appeared in the records of ancient times. They talk about a previously unseen creature that gracefully emerges from the depths of the sea, showing all its power and strength. In Ancient Greece, he was nicknamed the Great Sea Serpent and was treated like a deity.
Admiring the incredible appearance of the belt fish, people have repeatedly described it as a monster with a bull or horse head and a fiery red mane. The sailors had a superstition that said that any meeting with this creature was a sign of something bad.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Danish naturalist Morton Brünnich was the first to describe the characteristics of the herring king, which was washed up on the shores of Norway. After this, there were 25 officially recorded encounters with the most mysterious fish. Biologist Voord Jones managed to monitor the behavior of the belt fish in real conditions. He described his observations in the work “Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago,” where he said that he was privileged to see a monster swimming a few meters from the expedition ship.
The scientist mentions the fish's impressive body length and brightly shining silvery scales. There was a red train in the head area, and the dorsal fins were colored pink. The fishermen present on the ship immediately threw nets with bait into the water, but the proud sea beast showed no interest in them, and then disappeared into the ocean depths.
Conclusion
Naturalist K. Holder is one of the few ichthyologists who have studied the strange creature in its real habitat. While walking along the beach in 1925, a scientist accidentally saw strange movements in the shallow coastal waters of Avalon Bay, on the island of Catalina in Southern California.
Holder was surprised by the bright red plume on the fish's head and unique silvery scales. The fish swam slowly in the upper layers of the water, splashed in the shallows and cut through the water with its wave-like movements.
Richard Rosenblatt, head of the fish department at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States of America, said that all five finds called “sea serpents” were nothing more than oar kings.
The herring king rightfully deserves to be called the most amazing and least studied creature on planet Earth. Any encounter with an animal in real conditions is incredibly rare.. Everyone who was lucky enough to see the monster while walking along the beach or while sailing on a boat notes that the emotions they felt from such a spectacle are difficult to describe in words.
In most cases, it is possible to look at the herring king in a dead state, because a significant portion of the finds included non-living specimens. Surf and storms throw the body of the belt fish ashore, where it is soon found by local residents. Very rarely, the herring king is caught in fishing nets, but, unfortunately, there are no officially registered cases.
The herring king (belt-fish, strap-fish, lat. Regalecus glesne, English Oarfish) is a marine fish from the strap-fish family of the order Oarfish. Pelagic (semi-deep-sea) fish found in warm and moderately warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Herring kings are sometimes found in schools of herring, which they apparently feed on. In this regard, and also thanks to the “crown” formed by the elongated rays of the dorsal fin, they received their original name.
The first scientific description of the herring king dates back to 1771. Herring kings usually reach a length of 5.5 m (with a weight of 250 kg), but specimens up to 17 m in length have been recorded. The herring king is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest living bony fish. The body of herring kings has a belt-like shape: for example, with a length of 3.5 m, the width of the body can be only 5 cm.
The belt fish lives in warm and moderately warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans at a depth of 50-700 m (depths from 20 to 200 meters and even 1000 meters are also called) and is sometimes found on the surface. Some specimens are found washed ashore after a storm. Herring kings have not yet been caught in Russian waters, but are found off the coast of Norway and in the southern and eastern parts of the Sea of Japan.
They usually swim with their heads up, placing their body in a position close to vertical. At the same time, they support the body, the specific gravity of which is greater than the weight of water, from sinking, and move forward at low speed due to undulating (wave-like) movements of the long dorsal fin. Herring kings can swim faster; in this case, they move, bending the entire body in waves. This method of swimming was noted, in particular, in a large herring king observed alive in Indonesian waters.
It has no commercial value: the meat of the herring king is inedible, and even animals refuse it. It is of particular interest as an object of sport fishing. Sometimes strapheads end up in fishermen's nets, but this happens very rarely.
Sailors' encounters with giant herring kings swimming near the surface, and the half-decomposed remains of herring kings washed ashore, served as one of the basis for stories about the "sea serpent", which in some stories is described as a monster with a horse's head with a flowing fiery red mane. Apparently, the long rays of the dorsal fin, forming a “plume” on the head of the fish, were mistaken for such a mane. Similar cases continue to this day.
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Depths, then the crown would probably have gone to the herring king. The second name is fish belt. It belongs to the hard-finned family. There are not so many lucky ones who managed to see this fish with their own eyes.
Belt fish: general description
The appearance of the herring king is truly mesmerizing. No wonder it is considered the most beautiful sea creature. The fish can reach seventeen meters in length, but most often there are specimens from three and a half meters to five. The belt fish is the longest bony fish and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. With such a considerable “growth”, the width of the body may not exceed seven centimeters.
For this, the herring king was given the name belt fish (photo presented in the article). The body of the fish is covered with light silvery scales, with dark spots and stripes randomly scattered across it. In addition, the fish does not have a dark blue head. But the main decoration of the herring king is its fiery red mane, which develops like a train while swimming. For her, the fish received the title of king. This very mane is the dorsal fin, which consists of individual red rays. The side fins are no less beautiful - crimson in color. The fish swings its fins like oars. But ichthyologist D. Olney believes that the fins serve as organs of taste perception. But not only does the fish-belt differ from its fellows in appearance, its swimming style is also unlike the others. The strap fish swims... vertically! Yes, yes, that's right - head up. The king feeds on plankton and small crustaceans. Fishermen have often encountered it in schools of herring (which is also reflected in the name of the fish), so perhaps small herring is included in the “royal” diet.
Habitat
The belt fish lives in the warm waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Occasionally sails to the shores of Europe, which is due to global warming. But fish meat is absolutely inedible; even animals do not eat it. But some gourmets disagree with this statement. On the contrary, they consider the herring king to be very tasty and classify it as a delicacy, the main thing is to prepare it correctly.
Secrets of the Herring King
The belt fish has still been studied very little; scientists still do not know anything about the life of this animal. Everything that was learned through laboratory studies of the bodies of caught fish did not add much to the knowledge base. The size of the caught individuals, as a rule, did not exceed six meters, but sailors who observed the herring king in the wild claim that they saw real giants - up to twenty meters. How long the fish lives is still unknown.
First evidence
The first information about the herring king is found in the records of ancient times. They talk about a sea monster or a snake emerging from the depths of the sea. They called him the Great Sea Serpent. People were so amazed by its appearance that they described it as a monster with the head of a bull or horse, with a fiery red mane. The sailors considered the meeting with the sea serpent not to promise anything good. The herring king became a legend, which was subsequently hunted by many natural scientists.
Other encounters with the herring king
In 1771, Morton Brunnich (a Danish naturalist) first described a belt fish, the body of which was washed up on the Norwegian coast. Since then, no more than twenty-five sightings of this king have been documented. In 1906, marine biologist Ward Jones observed the kingfish in natural conditions. He wrote in his work “Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago” that the belt fish swam very close to the bow of the ship.
Her body was very long and shone in the sun with silvery scales. There was a red train near the head, and the dorsal fins shimmered with a rich pink color. The fishermen threw nets with bait into the water, but the fish did not react to it. After swimming a little more near the ship, the herring king disappeared into the abyss of the ocean. But, perhaps, the naturalist Holder observed the “sea serpent” the longest. Near the island of Saita Catalina, the Avalon strapfish was swimming in shallow waters, splashing on the sandbanks. A scientist noticed her and watched the sea beauty for a long time. But in 1963, the body of the herring king, washed ashore near the village of Malibu, caused a real stir. A California resident, walking with her dog along the seashore, came across a certain monster. This meeting struck the woman so much that her scream, full of horror, woke up almost all the inhabitants of the coastal strip. Lights began to come on in the windows of the houses, and within half an hour all the residents of the small town knew about the extraordinary find. The police who arrived at the scene decided to call experts after what they saw. Now the found specimen is in the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History.
The herring king (belt-fish, strap-fish, lat. Regalecus glesne, English Oarfish) is a sea fish from the strap-fish family of the order Oarfish. Pelagic (semi-deep-sea) fish found in warm and moderately warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Herring kings are sometimes found in schools of herring, which they apparently feed on. In this regard, and also thanks to the “crown” formed by the elongated rays of the dorsal fin, they received their original name.
These fish feed on ordinary plankton. Sometimes the king eats schools of herring, which is why he got his sonorous name.
Fishermen from Japan nicknamed the herring king “the king of the underwater kingdom.” But he also has other nicknames, for example, the fish-belt (or belt-fish). The Long King apparently reminded the people who nicknamed him of this very part of the wardrobe. With the length of an individual herring king being 3.5 meters, its width can be no more than 5 cm. Such a fish looks really very unusual. The body-ribbon of the herring king is covered with bony scales. The muzzle of this fish is flattened, the mouth slit is vertical, and there are large eyes. The color of the scales is silvery-white with dark spots and stripes. The fins of the herring king are bright red, and the head has a bluish tint.
The first scientific description of the herring king dates back to 1771. Herring kings usually reach a length of 5.5 m (with a weight of 250 kg), but specimens up to 17 m in length have been recorded. The herring king is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest living bony fish. The body of herring kings has a belt-like shape: for example, with a length of 3.5 m, the width of the body can be only 5 cm.
The belt fish lives in warm and moderately warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans at a depth of 50-700 m (depths from 20 to 200 meters and even 1000 meters are also called) and is sometimes found on the surface. Some specimens are found washed ashore after a storm. Herring kings have not yet been caught in Russian waters, but are found off the coast of Norway and in the southern and eastern parts of the Sea of Japan.
The dorsal fin begins on the head of the fish and extends to the entire body. This fin is very similar to a crown. The herring king is very beautiful. All those who have seen it in the wild note that it is a very amazing sea animal. But, unfortunately, seeing the herring king on the surface is very rare. As a rule, you can see this representative of the ancient fauna in an inanimate state. Surf and storms throw the bodies of herring kings onto the shores, where people find them.
Kingfish washed ashore in San Diego County, California
They usually swim with their heads up, placing their body in a position close to vertical. At the same time, they support the body, the specific gravity of which is greater than the weight of water, from sinking, and move forward at a low speed due to the undulating (wave-like) movements of the long dorsal fin. Herring kings can swim faster; in this case, they move, bending the entire body in waves. This method of swimming was noted, in particular, in a large herring king observed alive in Indonesian waters.
It has no commercial value: the meat of the herring king is inedible, and even animals refuse it. It is of particular interest as an object of sport fishing. Sometimes strapheads end up in fishermen's nets, but this happens very rarely.
Sailors' encounters with giant herring kings swimming near the surface, and the half-decomposed remains of herring kings washed ashore, served as one of the basis for stories about the "sea serpent", which in some stories is described as a monster with a horse's head with a flowing fiery red mane. Apparently, the long rays of the dorsal fin, forming a “plume” on the head of the fish, were mistaken for such a mane. Similar cases continue to this day.
The herring king also has other names - belt fish, belt fish.
Habitat
The herring king lives in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. This species can also be found in other oceans except the Arctic Ocean.
Prefers a temperate climate, especially common in the tropics and subtropics. He was seen on the coast of Norway, as well as in the Sea of Japan. They called it that because of its colossal size.
Appearance
The length of the fish can exceed fifteen meters and weight over 250 kg. Moreover, its thickness is no more than ten centimeters. Usually the body length of the herring king is 3 - 5 m, and the weight is 200 kg.
This fish has a long dorsal fin that extends throughout the body, from head to tail. Hairs grow on it. In front, on the head, they are longer, and therefore it seems that the fish has a crown on its head. The dorsal fin has from 264 to 290 rays.
The body is silver in color and has dark spots on it. There are no scales, the fish is covered with bony tubercles.
Its fins are red or brown. The fins have different lengths, the front ones are longer. It does not have a tail fin. The muzzle is flattened, the mouth is wide. The skin on the head is a little blue.
History of the discovery of fish
People first saw the belt in 1771, during an expedition in the tropics. This is where the legends about the sea serpent originated. According to legend, he swims in the sea and controls fish, telling them what laws they should live by. But in fact, fish are the objects that the herring king hunts.
Lifestyle. Nutrition
The herring king prefers warm waters. It moves vertically, but small specimens can also move horizontally. It swims poorly, so stormy weather can throw it ashore. Most often it falls into people's hands after a storm, when its body is found on the shore.
The lizard itself feeds on plankton and fish. He can be seen swimming behind a school of herring, which he also eats.
Reproduction
Spawning from July to December.
- Belt meat is tasteless, even animals refuse it;
- The herring king is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest bony fish on the planet.
- This is a not very studied species of fish, sometimes found in different seas near Russia.
The herring king is a curious specimen of fish that is worthy of careful study, and which may be a representative of the most ancient family of fish. Many people condemn the hunting of the herring king, and therefore he manages to live peacefully in ocean waters.
- Class - Ray-finned fish
- Order - Arganaceae
- Family - Strapiformes
- Rod - Herring King