This solitary creature is rarely ever seen alive, but when it is, it can easily be mistaken for a real life sea serpent. There are 4 described species of this incredible looking creature (though some biologist believe there may only be one actual species of oarfish), which can grow up to 36 feet in length (11 meters). The largest bony fish still alive, the oarfish is believed to inhabit most of the worlds oceans. Rare sightings by divers and accidental entanglement in fishing nets gives researchers what little they know about this monstrous looking fish. Apparently solitary, the oarfish most likely lives at depths between 65 and 3,280 feet (20-1,000 meters) coming to the surface only to spawn or when they are sick or injured. Appearing thin and ribbon-like, the oarfish is silver in color with blue to black stripes, spots or squiggles along the length of its body and pink to red spiny looking fins most conspicuously located on the creatures back. While little is known about this mysterious creature (it was not even filmed alive in its natural environment until 2001), it is easy to imagine this fantastic looking fish being identified as a sea serpent, especially if you run in to one of the larger species which have been reported to stretch over 50 feet in length.


Oarfish @ Wikipedia
Oarfish @ The Australian Museum Online

Technorati Tags: Cryptozoology, oarfish, sea serpent

It would be a real good place to hide, what with all the people looking for giant man-apes out in the middle of the woods. Seriously though, Cryptomundo.com is reporting that a late night caller to “Coast to Coast AM with George Noory” revealed that a specimen of a Bigfoot lies forgotten in a sub-basement of a St. Petersburg museum.

The caller, purportedly and American scientist living in the Ukraine, had been contracted to do air quality tests inside the museum in question during 1992. Somewhere in the 3 level basement he bumped into a glass case containing an obvious Bigfoot. Labels on the case indicated that the animal had been collected near a Russian outpost in northern California in the late 1700’s.

Unfortunately the story does not mention the name of the museum, but they posit a guess at possible institutions in St. Petersburg that are likely to be the home of this lost Bigfoot. With any luck this revelation will press researchers into tracking down the missing man-ape and provide excelent evidence in the search for the giant North American ape.

Do Russians Have a Bigfoot Carcass? [via FloridaSkunkApe.com]
(The accompanying picture is not of a Californian Bigfoot, but of my home state’s own mysterious giant - the Skunk Ape)

Technorati Tags: bigfoot, Cryptozoology, museum, sighting