Oarfish are pretty odd looking creatures; if you were to brush up against one while swimming in the ocean, it might make you think twice about going in the water for a while. But scientists say they are fascinating deep-sea dwellers who offer few answers about their species while alive; most of what we know about oarfish comes from specimens which have washed ashore.

In video captured in August of 2011, however, we are treated to a rare sight: the oarfish in its element, undulating softly in the water. With a potential growth span between 26 and 50 feet long, they are believed to be the world’s largest bony fish, and because the one captured on video didn’t shy away from the camera’s lights, scientists believe they have few natural predators.

New findings from the video were published last week in the Journal of Fish Biology. Take a look below.

PD/NOAA