Environmental experts reported making a rare find in the Hudson River recently. A species of fish that is typically found in the Bahamas and Florida Keys has arrived in the Hudson River.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reported that they have been sampling young striped bass over the past few weeks. During that time, crews have pulled in some uncommon fish.
Two Blackcheek Tonguefish were found in the Haverstraw Bay and Tappan Zee areas of the Hudson River. There are no records of these fish ever being caught during four decades of sampling.
Officials attributed the rare find due to the drought. With little rainfall, the Hudson River has been much saltier than normal. The Hudson River is a tidal river. As the Atlantic Ocean tides rise, the ocean’s saltwater feeds up the Hudson River. Rainfall flowing down the river typically reduces the upflow of saltwater.
The Blackcheek Tonguefish are most common in warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean south of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. They survive in salty or brackish waters which are warm. They prefer sandy or muddy bottoms in shallow coastal environments. They are also omnivorous bottom feeders, eating plants while preying on small invertebrates such as crabs and worms.
