In Japan, the belief that deep-sea fish sightings are connected with earthquakes has its roots in a mermaid legend found in the “Shokoku Rijin Dan”, a collection of strange tales published in the 18th century. According to lore, the fish rise to the surface and beach themselves ahead of an impending earthquake. In particular, the oarfish has a reputation as an indicator of doom. There are also scientific theories that bottom-dwelling fish may be susceptible to movements in seismic fault lines and act in uncharacteristic ways before an earthquake. However, recent research has proved that the long-held belief in Japan that sightings of deep-sea fish foretell major earthquakes is simply superstition.

Source: South China Morning Post