tags: animals, fish, ribbonfish, oarfish, Regalecus glesne, sea serpent,marine biology, Mark Benfield, streaming video
A huge oarfish, also known as the ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, was caught on camera in the Gulf of Mexico, giving scientists a rare glimpse of the bizarre fish in its native deep sea habitat. This is probably the largest bony fish in the seas, and it has the distinctive habit of swimming vertically (head up). Researcher Mark Benfield describes the fish, a likely inspiration for the sea serpent myth.