### q11 oarfish might explain sea serpent myths > Descriptions of sea serpents with manes or growths of hair about their necks are common amongst monster lore. This feature provides a clue to one of the animals often mistaken for a sea serpent: the oarfish. An enigmatic creature, [the oarfish](http://eol.org/pages/225594/overview) is the longest bony fish alive, possibly measuring as long as 45 to 50 feet. Human encounters with these fish are rare, but we know they do have a red cockscomb of spines on their head and a red dorsal fin running the length of their bodies. Fleeting glimpses of oarfish could easily be exaggerated into an encounter with a monstrous sea serpent, and, to an untrained eye, the remains of such a fish washed up on a beach could understandably resemble the sea serpent of legend. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fn49af2j3s9nhch9ygqb6nyk) - [[Five Real Sea Monsters Brought to Life by Early Naturalists by Grace Costantino#q11 oarfish might explain sea serpent myths|View in Vault]]