Blood Sucking Fish Fall From Sky In Alaska? Arctic Lampreys On Land Create Mystery

What are blood sucking fish doing on land in Alaska? This is the question rising as Arctic Lampreys are being seen out of water throughout Fairbanks in higher than normal numbers.

This seems to run parallel to a recent truck accident in Florida, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. A truck carrying sandbar sharks had a fender bender, leaving one of the ferocious fish on the road, where it died.

The Arctic Lamprey might not be as ferocious, as it often leaves its victim simply scarred and lacking blood. However, the eel-like creatures find themselves falling from the sky, and recently this has been happening more than usual.

What is an Arctic Lamprey? It’s a fish with a jawless mouth lined with teeth situated in such a way that they latch on to their victims and feed on them.

Fairbanks thrift store owner Sue Valdrow said that customers found one of these curious creatures wiggling about the parking lot and asked if someone had a bucket of water. She then alerted the Alaska Department of Game and Fish and had them collect it.

Mike Taras of the above-mentioned organization stated that the blood sucking fish are being found falling from the sky because birds grab them, realize their mistake, and then drop them. There is no reason for worry about a “sharknado” full of Arctic Lampreys.

#Google The #creature in question is actually an Arctic lamprey a jawless http://t.co/XJMlAiXoFW

— ArtsMusicMovies (@ArtsMusicMovies) June 12, 2015

The reason birds might be confused is because the strange fish usually measures from about a foot long to 15 inches, much like other fish they might eat. The increasing number may be attributed to the more than usual amount in the Chera River, so the odds of birds grabbing what they don’t want are increased.

The kinds with teeth are usually the adults, around 3 to 7-years-old. Until then, they remain toothless and sift through the nutrients in the water for sustenance.

While the idea of these blood sucking fish falling from the sky might sound terrifying, just remember that they don’t usually make their way to land. It was only recently that four have been found throughout Fairbanks, and only one survived the journey.

[Image via Drow male / Wikimedia Commons]