Eel-like fish fall from the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska

The AlaskaDepartment of Fish and Game in Fairbanks has been fielding calls this week about eel-like fish falling from the sky.

The calls have been about strange-looking fish, identified as Arctic lamprey,being found in odd locations on land in the community.

In a Facebook post, the department says the local Value Village store found a live lamprey in its parking lot and placed it in a bucket of water. Another man found one on his lawn.

The department says a total of four lamprey have been found on land so far.

It theorizes that gullsare fishing the lampreys out of the nearby Chena River but arelosing their grip on the "squirming critters" while in flight.

Arctic lampreyshave a roundmouth filled with small sharp teeth but no jaws, and can grow up to38 centimetres long.