Florida Fish Are Mysteriously Dying After ‘Spinning and Whirling,’ and Scientists Can’t Explain It

The abnormal behavior has raised special concerns about the endangered smalltooth sawfish, an odd-looking ray with chainsaw-like teeth, as 28 of them have died

At least 40 different species have been spotted “spinning and whirling” in the water near the Lower Florida Keys, and some of the fish have died, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). So far, scientists can’t explain what’s causing this abnormal trend.

The affected creatures range “all the way from the very small bait-type fish, like pinfish, all the way up to things like groupers and even some stingrays,” says Dean Grubbs, a marine biologist at Florida State University, to NBC News’ Marissa Parra, Maria Piñero and Lora Kolodny.

Though the bizarre behavior is concerning across the board, wildlife biologists are particularly worried about how it has impacted the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), an endangered species with a long, flat nose and sharp, chainsaw-like teeth.

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