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.

For the second time this year, a long, ribbon-shaped oarfish that is frequently connected to disasters has come ashore on Californian beaches. NBC News reports that PhD candidate Alison Laferriere of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Encinitas,

A rare oarfish, believed to portend disaster, washed up on a beach in Encinitas last week. Since 1901, only 21 oarfish have been recorded on California’s shores. This is the second this year.

A rare and almost mythical creature from the deep sea has washed up on a California beach in the form of an oarfish measuring more than 9 feet long!

An elusive deep-water oarfish considered to be a harbinger of bad news was discovered on the shores of Encinitas, California last Friday.

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

As for why people consider the oarfish to be a “doomsday” fish, NBC News explains that — as oarfish typically dwell in the deep ocean — the appearance of one suggests a coming natural disaster like an earthquake. About 20, for example, washed up prior to an earthquake in Japan in 2011, the country’s worst on record.

For the second time this year, a rare deep-sea oarfish has washed ashore in San Diego County, giving scientists a chance to study the species without plumbing the depths of the ocean, it was announced Wednesday.

Two incredibly rare - and incredibly strange - oarfish have washed up on California beaches this year. Before now, only 18 had been documented on beaches in the state since 1901. Scientists say changing ocean conditions could have something to do with it.

This month's sighting was only the 21st time the fish has been documented to have washed up in California since 1901, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.