A sighting of this deep sea creature is a very bad sign

Mysterious sea creatures have found themselves at the center of a conspiracy theory that suggests they can predict earthquakes.

Oarfish recently found in different parts of the Philippines.

Several of the massive deep-sea dwellers washed up in the Philippines just before a killer earthquake tore through one of the islands.

The little-known bony fish were found ahead of the deadly 6.5 quake that devastated Mindanao Island on Feb. 8.

In one instance, a 10-foot-long oarfish washed up onto a beach on the island just two days before, and another was caught by a fisherman.

Five more oarfish were found off Mindanao’s northern coast in the days following the natural disaster.

It has prompted speculation that the sea creatures are able to “predict” or detect early tremors.

Jake Bade wrote on Facebook: “There are several instances that people had sightings of oarfishes prior to an earthquake, including the earthquake and tsunami that happened in Japan, Chile, Haiti and now in Surigao Ph.”

Facts about the oarfish are few and far between.

It was first seen in 1772 and rarely makes appearances in shallow waters, preferring to stay 300 feet below the surface.

But when they do appear, scientists believe it’s because of strong currents.

There have been several unexplained incidents of animals beaching themselves lately.

New Zealand beachgoers were recently warned about exploding whales after a mass stranding.

What is an oarfish?

• Found in all temperate to tropical oceans yet rarely seen, the oarfish likes to lurk at least 300 feet below the surface.
• Human encounters with live oarfish are rare.
• Most information is collated from records of oarfish that have been caught or washed ashore.
• They have often been labeled earthquake predictors because they tend to wash up on the shore before and after tremors.
• The bony, plankton-eating fish have no scales.