Over the past few weeks of sampling young-of-year striped bass during the annual beach seine, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Fisheries crews have pulled in some uncommon fish from Haverstraw Bay and the Tappan Zee.
With little rainfall until recently, these sites have been fairly salty, ranging from 7 ppt (parts-per-thousand) to 15 ppt during recent weeks. Two Blackcheek Tonguefish (Symphurus plagiusa), both caught at Tappan Zee sites, were a rare find from the most recent (September 12th) beach seine.
The Hudson River Fisheries Unit appears to have no record of these fish being caught in either the striped bass or shad (Alosine) young-of-year surveys over the past four decades of sampling.
Photo of Blackcheek Toungefish by ElizaBeth Streifender.
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