Another Croaker Kill In Virginia - Cause Still Unknown

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Thousands of croakers have washed ashore at beaches in recent days, the latest mass deaths of the popular sport and food fish.


Researchers have not been able to isolate or define any suspected aquatic bug or explain why only Atlantic croakers have been struck along the Atlantic coast, south to Florida.

Other theories include cold-water jolts, or upwelling, that shock weakened croakers as they swim along the mid-Atlantic coast, or a mysterious virus of some sort. A team of scientists from Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Florida is digging for answers.

The croakers are apparently suffocating, their gills left bleeding. In some cases, they have been seen swimming near the water's surface — odd behavior for a bottom-feeding fish. A favored prize among anglers and watermen, the Atlantic croaker is known for its tough fight on a rod and reel and its pink belly that often bellows a croaking noise when pulled into a boat or under stress."

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