Hundreds of dead fish spotted floating in Hudson River

EDGEWATER, New Jersey (WABC) -- There was a foul and worrisome sight along the Hudson River in Manhattan and New Jersey this week.

Hundreds of dead fish were spotted floating by the banks in places like Riverside Park and Edgewater, New Jersey.

Officials say they are bunker fish, or Atlantic menhaden, which are a kind of herring found in the Hudson.

The cause of death is under investigation, but it is likely that rising water temperatures deprived them of necessary oxygen.

Fish such as bunker that swim in large schools are particularly vulnerable to low dissolved oxygen content, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said.

Health officials say there is no cause for alarm.

----------

* Get Eyewitness News Delivered

* More New Jersey news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

* Follow us on YouTube