Terrifying ‘Vampire Fish’ Are Falling From the Sky in Alaska — and Experts Think They Know Why

It's raining "Vampire Fish" — or at least it is in Alaska.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife said earlier this month that they had started receiving reports of arctic lamprey mysteriously falling from the sky.

Image source: Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife

Experts, however, finally think they have the answer.

"How is this happening?" the Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife asked in a Facebook post. "The answer is probably gulls."

"Gulls are picking them out of the Chena River with their bills and then dropping the squirming critters while in flight," the agency added, noting that "many lifelong Alaskans have never seen one of these fascinating fish up close because their body shape and feeding habits make them difficult to catch."

Image source: Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife

The "Vampire Fish" spawn in the Chena River and live underwater in mud for several years, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife. The fish, about 15 inches in length, use their teeth to dig through the scales of other fish and feed on their blood.

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