PDA

View Full Version : Odd Fish Caught on Yuba



Gregg Machel
03-23-2005, 12:12 AM
Has anyone seen a fish like this before? I caught this one on the Yuba a couple weekends ago. The fish fought hard, and seemed very healthy, but just had like a broken back or something. Just curious if anyone has run accross this before.

http://westcoastdiscounters.com/crooked-fish.jpg

Gregg Machel
03-23-2005, 12:14 AM
Correction, I didn't mean it's back was broken, just that it seemed like it may have had a problem earlier in life that had caused this and had healed this way. I dunno, maybe the fish was just born like this. :?:

Adam Grace
03-23-2005, 09:23 AM
Gregg, maybe the funky back of that trout made it fight so hard :lol:

I have never seen that before, bizarre :!:

jsteinson
03-23-2005, 10:16 AM
Resembles "Whirling Disease" characteristics. Hopefully, just a trout that needs a good chiropractor. :lol:

Mario
03-23-2005, 10:29 AM
I agree, this coudl be (Myxosoma cerebralis or Whirling Disease), but those fish generally have darkened tails. This fish appears to have a normal tail. One of my veterinary school professors is a fish pathologist. I will show him the picture to get his opinion on this. I do know that rainbow trout can also develop scoliosis from tryptophan deficiency. This wouldn't necessarily make sense on this river, since the fish are all feeding on the same bugs and this seems like an isolated case. Maybe the fish has a genetic disorder that doesn't allow it to utilize the tryptophan that it ingests. Who knows...the possibilities are endless. I'll get back yo you guys. Take care. Finals done today + River's blown out = bummer!

David Lee
03-23-2005, 10:47 AM
When I fished Smallmouth creeks 150+ days a year , I saw a LOT of fish w/ healed injuries (scars , missing chunks , broken , healed backs ...) . I think Herons and other predators miss the killing shot sometimes ...

As far as I know ..... Whirling disease kills them off at a small size . Probably just a well -healed broken spine .

It's a rough , tough world out there ..... David

Darian
03-23-2005, 02:54 PM
Looked up Whirling Disease on Goggle and found lots of info.... This fish does have some of the indicators but not all.... It has a dark head and the deformed body; no external scars..... many infected fish live to adulthood.

Asked about it of DFG and their initial reply is that Whirling Disease has existed in CA for some time. They're to answer the rest of the questions later.....