Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA

FISHERIES BIOLOGISTS ALONG THE DELAWARE RIVER ARE REVIEWING NEW EVIDENCE THIS MORNING AFTER AN OTHERWISE NORMAL ANGLER NEAR EASTON REELED IN A STRANGE FISH THAT APPEARS TO EXIST ONLY IN CERTAIN STRETCHES OF THE RIVER ON THE PENNSYLVANIA SIDE. THE FISH IS A SLENDER EEL LIKE SPECIES ROUGHLY EIGHTEEN INCHES LONG WITH UNUSUALLY LARGE DARK EYES AND A FAINT SILVERY SHEEN THAT CATCHES LIGHT IN A WAY LOCALS SAY LOOKS ALMOST METALLIC.

WHAT SET IT APART WAS ITS BEHAVIOR. INSTEAD OF FIGHTING THE LINE THE FISH WENT STILL AND THEN BEGAN A LOW RHYTHMIC CLICKING SOUND THAT LASTED NEARLY A MINUTE. THE ANGLER REPORTED THE SAME SOUND HAD BEEN HEARD AT NIGHT BY KAYAKERS IN THE SAME STRETCH FOR YEARS BUT NEVER TIED TO A SPECIFIC SPECIES UNTIL NOW.

STATE BIOLOGISTS HAVE COLLECTED TISSUE SAMPLES AND PRELIMINARY GENETIC RESULTS SUGGEST IT MAY BE AN UNDESCRIBED SPECIES OR A HIGHLY LOCALIZED SUBSPECIES OF AN EXISTING ONE. EACH CONFIRMED SIGHTING HAS OCCURRED IN DEEPER CHANNELS WITH HIGHER MINERAL CONTENT AND THE FISH SEEMS TO AVOID AREAS WITH HEAVY BOAT TRAFFIC.

A RESEARCHER FROM PENN STATE SAID THE CLICKING MAY BE A FORM OF COMMUNICATION OR ECHOLOCATION USED IN MURKY WATER. OFFICIALS ARE ASKING ANGLERS TO REPORT ANY SIMILAR CATCHES WITH PHOTOS AND LOCATION DATA WHILE STRESSING THE FISH SHOULD BE RELEASED UNHARMED.

ANGLERS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON DEEP POOLS AT DUSK. NOTE ANY UNUSUAL SOUNDS. AND AVOID KEEPING SPECIMENS UNTIL MORE IS KNOWN.