Fishermen catch oarfish, many fear it's a bad omen.

A fisherman caught a rare school of 50 oarfish off the coast of Taiwan. Oarfish are considered "harbingers of doom" in the deep sea.

The oarfish were caught by Wang Yuwen of Achun Fresh Fish Shop at Taitung Chenggong Fish Farm on April 11, Yahoo News reported.

Many people believe that seeing an oarfish is an omen of a natural disaster. (Photo: Jam Press/Australscope).

Wang claims he caught the oarfish from a small boat using a long line with floating buoys, rather than a fixed net, making it even more unbelievable.

He said the largest oarfish weighed 19 kg, and the smallest 7 kg. In total, the catch of oarfish weighed over 400 kg.

"In the past, catching even one oarfish at a time was considered good, and two or three was very rare ," Wang said. " I didn't expect to catch nearly 50."

"Even my 80-year-old father said he had never seen anything like it before ," he said.

Oarfish can grow up to 17 meters long. (Photo: Jam Press/Australscope).

The enormous number of oarfish that Wang Yuwen caught off the coast of Taiwan has sparked fear on the island.

After catching so many fish at once, many locals are worried it will lead to a natural disaster.

Some people believe that the appearance of oarfish may be related to the 4.7 magnitude earthquake on April 7th.

Others speculated whether mainland China's submarine exercises in the area might have affected the fish population.

Despite community fears, seeing oarfish isn't necessarily linked to natural disasters, and it's not uncommon for them to wash up on beaches after storms or when they're severely injured.

Due to their size and shape, oarfish resemble "sea snakes" and are considered harbingers of earthquakes and misfortune in Japanese mythology.

The legend began to take shape in 2011 after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

A spokesperson for Achun Fresh Fish Shop said they had sold out of oarfish by April 13.

"Their flesh is white and tender with a unique flavor. The best way to prepare oarfish is to steam it with ginger and scallions to bring out its original, delicious flavor," the statement said.

Oarfish are considered one of the longest fish in the ocean, reaching lengths of up to 17 meters and weighing over 200 kilograms.

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