Fish Story

Thomas Czernik with his 6-ft catch (Luong/WSJ)

Warm-water fish are showing up in New England waters, which would probably have gone unremarked except these fish include the giant tarpon:

Now tarpon—nicknamed the Silver King after its majestic size and shimmering silver color—are surfacing in New England waters. The warm water trophy fish, which can grow to eight feet, weigh 280 pounds and live for 50 years, are prized by anglers who primarily fish for them in Florida.

The massive prehistoric fish has been shocking Northeast anglers, who are normally looking for striped bass, fluke, bluefish and the occasional shark. Scientists and marine biologists are mystified.

When confronting an invasive species, the first question should be: are tarpon good to eat? Unfortunately, no. Per Google AI:

No, tarpon are generally not considered good to eat because their flesh is full of small, hard-to-remove bones, making them more trouble than they're worth, and most people choose to catch and release them as a sport fish instead of eating them.

A giant fish filled with small bones, Tarpon are sport fish that are usually tossed back. Look for their presence to grow in the North Atlantic.