These fish hitched a free ride—all the way across the Pacific Ocean!

In April 2015, a fisherman found the bow—or front—of a boat. It floated near the coast of Oregon. The boat had water inside . . . and 22 fish. Like the lost soccer ball, the boat and fish had floated all the way across the ocean after Japan’s tsunami.

The fish-hikers lived in the boat for years. But where did they come from? Did a Japanese fisherman catch them? Did he leave them on his boat before the tsunami hit? Or were they just fish eggs when the boat started its journey to North America? No one is sure.

But scientists agree on one thing. The fish belong in Japan, not Oregon. Twenty-one are yellowtail jack fish. The yellowtail jack often appears in sushi, a famous Japanese food. The other fish-hiker looks like a zebra. Its name tells you where it comes from: Asian striped knifejaw.

The broken boat the fish came in went to the landfill. So if the fish were thinking about a ride home, they can forget about it! But the fish also can’t stay in North American waters. They may carry parasites and diseases. That could harm Oregon’s native fish. For now, the fish-hikers are making a new home in the Oregon Coast Aquarium.