This is the moment a group of divers came across a “harbinger of doom” with chunks ripped out of its enormous body.

The Russell’s oarfish left divers stunned as they spotted the extremely rare fish off the coast of Ruifang in Taiwan.

The fish has been dubbed the “harbinger of doom” as locals believe it only appears when an earthquake is set to rock the island.

Divers noticed the fish was covered in holes believed to have been caused by a cookiecutter shark.

The injured Russell’s oarfish was around two meters in length. Oarfish are believed to resemble “sea serpents” and are believed to be omens of misfortune in Japanese mythology.

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Diving instructor Wang Cheng-Ru, who took jaw-dropping pictures of the enormous fish, said: “It must have been dying so it swam into shallower waters.”

He added that it was the first time he had come across Russell’s oarfish, despite having years of diving under his belt.

The fish regained its “harbinger of doom” label in Japan shortly after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

A dozen of the rarely-sighted fish were seen by divers in the lead-up to the disaster between 2009 and 2010 – an extremely rare occurrence.

There is not believed to be any scientific merit in the myth, however, and the Ecuadoran Geophysical Institute said no study has confirmed the local theory.

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Oarfish are considered one of the longest fish in the ocean and can measure up to 17 meters (56 ft) in length and weigh over 200 kgs (441 lbs).

Their body is scaleless and the skin has a slimy, silvery protective coating known as guanine.

Their dorsal fin starts between its eyes and reaches its tail. Due to its ability to adapt to different temperatures, oarfish are found in most of the world’s oceans with the exception of the poles.

They live at depths of up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and sightings are not very common.

Sometimes they wash up on beaches after a storm or when they suffer a serious injury.

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