Oarfish live in the pelagic zone. This means that they live in water that is not near the shore and not near the bottom of the ocean. They live in all temperate and tropical oceans. Oarfish are also very rare. They are usually only seen when a dead one washes onto the shore. When oarfish are sick or dying, they swim up near the surface of the water. This behavior means that oarfish are probably the "sea serpents" in legends.