A dead oarfish spotted along the Southern California coast marks the state's third sighting of the so-called "doomsday fish" this year.

Considered to be the origin of the sea serpent tale, giant oarfish are a species yet to be largely researched by scientists.

A rare deep-sea oarfish has washed up in California, the third to do so in a few months and only the 22nd since 1901.

The doomsday fish got its name because it looks like a mythical sea creature, with a long, ribbon-shaped body that can grow up to 30 feet.

An oarfish, sometimes called the 'doomsday fish,' was spotted in California for the second time this year. The extremely rare creature has only been seen in the state 21 times since 1901.

A rare deep-sea oarfish, also called a sea serpent, washed ashore near San Diego in Encinitas, and Scripps scientists are unsure what happened.

A member of the Scripps Oceanography team spotted the dead fish outside of San Diego, California. The fish was estimated to be 9 to 10 feet in length, which was much smaller than the one recovered in La Jolla in August.

For the second time this year, an oarfish has washed up on a California beach. The 'doomsday fish' is considered a harbinger of doom in Japanese folklore.

A rare deep sea fish, regarded as a harbinger of doom, has washed up on a southern California shore. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, said one of its PhD students discovered an oarfish on a beach in Encinitas last week that was around nine to ten feet long.

A rare deep-sea oarfish has washed up in California, the third to do so in a few months and only the 22nd since 1901.