The “harbinger of doom”, that’s the name of the huge fish found off the coast of California, representing a bad omen for Californians.

As if that fish wasn’t enough, it was found dead.

The so-called oar fish is reputed to be a harbinger of earthquakes and generally bad fates. It was found by vacationers kayaking and snorkeling in San Diego’s La Jolla Cove.

The fish, “harbinger of doom” kept its promise and a 4.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in California, two days after its discovery.

Officials are conducting an autopsy to determine what killed the fish and sent its body into shallow water.

The so-called paddlefish

Paddlefish are deep-sea dwellers and rarely seen by humans. Even their bodies rarely float in shallow water, making last week’s discovery extremely rare.

Only 20 paddlefish have washed up statewide since 1901, the oceanography center said.

They are “impressively large, strange-looking fish” with a long, silvery, ribbon-shaped body that can reach 9 meters, according to the Ocean Conservatory.

They also have eerily large eyes and “red spines that protrude into a crown-like cluster.”