Is the Hudson Valley the Upside Down? Is there a Demogorgon living in the Hudson River?!

Maybe I'm watching too much of Stranger Things on Netflix, but the CDC just shared a photo of a fish that washed up in Staatsburg and I'm, as the kids say, shook.

The Department of Environmental Conservation took to social media to share that Saturday, June 11th is World Fish Migration Fish Count day. They shared that there will be free fishing events around the lower Hudson River and NY Harbor. Events will be held locally in the Hudson Valley at Long Dock Park in Beacon.

However, it was the photo below that caught our attention. Thanks to the New York State DEC we would like to introduce you to the Sea Lamprey:

In the social media post the DEC writes:

Norrie Point educator Ben Harris was surprised when this creature came up in a small cast net thrown from shore. Lampreys are one of the most ancient fishes on earth (they don’t even have jaws)! Instead, their suction-cupped mouth is lined with rings of sharp teeth.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but Norrie Point is located in Staatsburg in Dutchess County. And that caption makes it sound like Ben Harris caught the Sea Lamprey at Norrie Point.

You're telling me that creature lives in the Hudson River in our own backyard!?

According to the Watercraft Inspection Steward Field Guide:

The Sea lamprey is native to the Hudson River and has not been found to cause a problem. It is an ecological threat to non-native areas, including the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain

The DEC explains further that the Sea Lamprey is an "eel-shaped fish with a skeleton made of cartilage, not bone. They belong to a relic (primitive) group of jawless fishes called Agnathans."

So, if you're thinking about dipping your toes into the Hudson River on a hot summer day...just know that there quite possibly could be a Sea Lamprey swimming right under your feet.

Happy swimming!

For more details on World Fish Migration Fish Count day check out the DEC on social media or online at DEC.NY.GOV. 

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