An oarfish was washed ashore in Barangay Gusa, Cagayan de Oro Saturday afternoon.

According Jude Cyril Roque Viernes, who posted the photos on Facebook, the fish, about 15 feet long, was found alive but later died.

Viernes also wrote that residents are afraid that the discovery forebodes an earthquake striking the city.

Some experts believe that deep-sea fish are capable of sensing tremors on the Earth's crust.

According to Kiyoshi Wadatsumi, in a statement published by Japan Times, such aquatic creatures are more sensitive to the movements of faults.

• READ: Dead oarfish found in Mindanao sparks debate: Can animals predict earthquakes?

Days before the magnitude-6.7 quake in Surigao City, an oarfish was also caught off the shore of Agusan de Norte.

Another oarfish, meanwhile, was seen along the coast of Barangay Rojales in Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

- with reporting by Greanne Mendoza, ABS-CBN News