The king-of-the-salmon, Trachipterus altivelis, is an actual animal that is rarely sighted since it usually lives in the deep sea. The legend of the Makah people west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca states, that this fish leads salmon to their spawning grounds. Therefor it is forbidden to catch and eat the fish as salmon may decline in numbers if there are no king-of-the-salmon to lead the way.
Sightings of king-of-the-salmon may be mistaken for oarfish sightings and the other way around.
King-of-the-salmon found or caught thus far have reached a length of 1.83m (6 ft). They are ribbon shaped and have a thin dorsal fin along the whole length of their body. When taken out of the water, the fin may appear orange or redish, when submerged they appear completely silver and may reflect the light making them look metallic.