News – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) recently announced an eerie discovery made by conservationists at the Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP) in New York. Just last week, they hooked a massive and monstrous-looking fish situated less than 100 miles away from Manhattan. The NYS DEC shared this creepy find on their Facebook page on Wednesday.
Upon inspection, it was revealed that the massive haul was a six-foot-long Atlantic sturgeon, tipping the scales at an astounding 220 pounds.
Atlantic sturgeon are an endangered, anadromous fish species that spend most of the year in the ocean, but adults move in the Hudson River this time of year to spawn. It's the Hudson's biggest fish. It's also the largest of NY's 3 sturgeon species (Atlantic, shortnose, & lake). pic.twitter.com/8ektRcwlOD
— New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (@NYSDEC) June 26, 2024
The Atlantic sturgeon has been classified as critically endangered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These fish are anadromous, which means they primarily reside in saltwater but migrate to freshwater for reproduction. Their migratory patterns take them from Florida to Maine, and during this time of the year, they are highly visible in the Hudson River.
According to HREP employees, they have apprehended a female fish that hasn’t spawned yet. The officials documented the event by taking photos, scanning the fish for tags, and measuring its height and weight. Afterward, the fish was safely released back into the water.
According to the NYS DEC, the workers in the estuary caught the fish humanely using a net, while holding a research permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service. The survey is an annual event that started in 2006 and spans several weeks in May and June. Its primary purpose is to monitor the trends in the Atlantic sturgeon population.
The size of the Atlantic sturgeon caught by HREP staff may appear to be massive, weighing 220 pounds and measuring six feet in length. However, in reality, this size is quite small for this species. Atlantic sturgeons can reach up to 14 feet long and weigh a whopping 800 pounds. Although it is smaller in size, it is important to note that the Atlantic sturgeon is the largest type of sturgeon found in New York. The state also has two other breeds of sturgeon, namely the lake sturgeon and the shortnose sturgeon.
