One that comes to mind is the giant Pacific octopus. The Aleut people used to tell stories of a huge, ink‑spewing spirit that guarded the sea, and even early whalers would whisper about an “octopus ghost” lurking near their ships. Another is the Atlantic cod—once the backbone of European fisheries, it was once called the “king of the sea” in old Icelandic sagas because of its abundance and importance to the people. The mythical “sea serpent” that sailors spoke of is often linked to real creatures like the long‑necked basking shark or even the giant eel, which in some Pacific island cultures were seen as living gods of the deep. These stories show how a single species can become a mythic icon, even when the creature itself fades into history.

Modern fish markets still have those ghost stories in their corners, but usually as a whispered warning to the next buyer instead of a full‑blown saga. You’ll hear a fishmonger's mutter about “the old cod king” when the stock runs thin, but most people just think of price tags and shelf life. It’s like the tide—those myths ebb out when the rush of business pulls them under, yet sometimes a curious customer will catch the old rhythm and ask for a bit of folklore with their filet. In the end, the market keeps the names, but the legends rarely get the spotlight they once did.