SCMP reported that a nearly 4 meter long paddlefish was found in a fishing net off the port of Imizu, Toyama prefecture, on Monday. The fish died but was later taken to the nearby Uozu Aquarium for study.

Two other paddlefish were also discovered in Toyama Bay nine days earlier.

The paddlefish is known as the “messenger from the sea god’s palace”, sometimes called the “sea dragon” because of its strange shape. Some people believe that this fish when washed ashore will signal an impending earthquake.

They say that giant fish often rise to the surface to escape earthquakes that come from the bottom of the sea.

The fish was brought to the Uozu Aquarium for research

Ten paddlefish washed up on Japan’s northern coast in 2010. Months later, a massive earthquake hit northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami that killed nearly 19,000 people and destroyed a nuclear plant. Fukushima.

Therefore, the latest findings scare Japanese netizens, according to The Sun.

One Twitter user wrote: “Without a doubt, this is proof that an earthquake is imminent.”

In the past 10 days, 3 paddlefish have been spotted on the coasts of Japan

However, Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of biology at Kagoshima University, offers a scientific explanation for the appearance of paddlefish.

“I believe these fish have a tendency to float to the surface when their physical condition deteriorates, which is why they are usually already dead when found,” Motomura said.

“The suspicion that paddlefish is related and seismic activity arose many years ago, but there is no scientific evidence of this connection so I don’t think people need to worry.”