"Bad Omen Fish" are causing earthquakes in California

Question

Oarfish have been washing up on the shores of California beaches since August. According to folklore, these fish are associated with bad omens. They have been associated with doom, most specifically earthquakes.

Comments

This is an interesting association. Especially since not many Oarfish ever wash up on the surface. I liked how the article provided hyperlinks to other articles that explained what they were talking about in more detail.

Answer 1

While it is true in Japanese myths that Oarfish are bad omens for natural disasters, there are no scientific research that connects the cause of California's earthquakes with the appearances of these sea creatures. Not only is it a Japanese myth that is not even scientifically proven for the cause of Japanese earthquakes, it is also just a myth and not actually true for any natural disaster occurrences. In fact, a link in the article actually says that "the link between odd animal behavior and imminent disaster is not supported by science," from a Bank University zoologist, Rachel Grant. Furthermore, the researcher actually conducted a report on the mass migration of frogs that sometimes seem as an omen for earthquakes in China and concluded that is just a superstition and not scientifically accurate.

Answer 2

"Bad omen fish" or oarfish are not causing earthquakes in California. Oarfish are deep sea creatures that are closely tied to Japanese folklore that says when they wash ashore it is a bad omen. The bad omen is usually connected to a natural disaster. Earthquakes are caused by shifts/slips in tectonic plates. Tectonic plates push against or towards each other creating pressure or potential energy, when the plates finally slip it can create an earthquake (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-earthquake-and-what-causes-them-happen). Oarfish are likely washing ashore due to oceanic conditions changing (https://www.npr.org/2024/11/19/nx-s1-5196630/oarfish-california-japan-folklore). Oarfish are not and cannot cause earthquakes, therefore, this claim is false.