In Japan, the Oarfish holds a significant title as "the messenger from the palace of the God of the sea." Its name, it is believed, originated from the observation that its appearance often coincided with earthquakes or tsunamis. However, an intriguing event occurred in 2011 when approximately 20 regalecs washed up on beaches in the region just before Japan was struck by the devastating Tohoku earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.

Likewise, in Chile, a peculiar occurrence took place before an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit. Japanese fishermen had stumbled upon a dozen regalecs shortly before the seismic event occurred.