Somebody knows how catfish ended up on eastbound Interstate 20 near Airline Drive on Friday afternoon, Dec 23.

Just not Bossier City authorities.

Passing motorists had already pummeled, squashed and obliterated the slippery aquatic creatures by the time police were called.

They arrived about 1:30 p.m. and shut down traffic because the gooey remnants left an oily service that could pose a driving hazard.

Eastbound travel was halted completely for about 15 minutes while firefighters used grease sweep, a granulated substance, to provide traction on slippery surfaces.

Delays continued for about another half-hour as emergency workers cleaned up the remaining catfish -- at least the ones not lambasted by Christmas shoppers tackling last-minute errands and holiday travelers rushing to turkey or ham dinners.

But the question of how the fish got on the highway remains unanswered.

"It's somewhat of a mystery," Bossier City spokesman Mark Natale said. "There were no witnesses to say what kind of vehicle the fish fell out of. Obviously, they fell out of some type of vehicle."