Passerby Collecting Shells Discovers 2m Deep-Sea Fish 'Sangalchi' on Road... "Will Donate if Needed"

Deep-sea Fish Inhabiting the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Mr. Omo Stores Two Deep-sea Fish, a 2m and a 1m Ribbonfish

Mountain hairtail discovered in Pohang
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Two 2-meter-long sand hairtails were found on the beach in Pohang, Gyeongbuk.

According to Yonhap News on the 9th, Oh Mo (62) and his party, who live in Busan, discovered the sand hairtails while collecting clams on the beach at Chilpo Beach in Pohang around 10 a.m. on the 9th.

Mr. Oh said, "While collecting clams on the beach, one of my colleagues spotted an object floating on the sea surface," adding, "When we went closer to check, it was two sand hairtails."

They pulled the sand hairtails out and measured their lengths. One alive fish was 1 meter long, and the other, which was dead, measured 2 meters.

They are keeping the two sand hairtails in a tank filled with seawater. Mr. Oh said, "Since sand hairtails live in deep sea and are not easily seen, I am willing to donate them to any necessary institutions."

Sand hairtails are deep-sea fish inhabiting the Pacific and Indian Oceans, including Korea and Japan. They live at depths below 400 meters and can grow over 5 meters in length. They resemble hairtails but are severely flattened laterally and long in a ribbon shape. Their heads have red fins.

Along with the similar-looking turachi, they are occasionally found washed ashore by waves.

In 2019, sand hairtails and turachi were consecutively found in Goseong and Gangneung, Gangwon Province, and in January this year, a 3-meter-long sand hairtail was caught by an angler in Gangneung.

Meanwhile, experts dismiss the superstition that deep-sea fish surfacing to the sea surface is a precursor to earthquakes as a baseless rumor without scientific evidence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.