The oarfish, or Regalecus glesne, lives so deep under the ocean that it is usually only seen when it’s washed ashore or fatally injured.

Mark Benfield, Louisiana State University Remarkably captured by HD cameras, an oarfish is seen swimming off the Gulf of Mexico in August, 2011.
Never before seen video footage of an elusive 8-foot long deep-sea oarfish, alive and in its natural habitat in the Gulf of Mexico, has been released by scientists who are calling it the first of its kind.
The giant bony fish whose mystery dates to tales of sea monsters and mermaids was remarkably filmed in high definition by a remotely operated vehicle in 2011 before the video’s release this week.
The footage is believed to be a first of its kind when it comes to clarity and contact with an oarfish, or Regalecus glesne, with the creature typically seen washed ashore dead or fatally injured.