Extremely Rare "Piebald" Catfish

[rsimms]

Check out this catfish Bob Waits from Spring City, Tenn. caught from Watts Bar Lake recently.

TWRA Biologist Mike Jolley sent it to me via Wildlife Officer Burton Capps. They didn't get to actually examine the fish personally so it's unclear what specie it is. shsimons told me he saw a similar "piebald" catfish in a Bass Pro Shop Aquarium one time.

 

[fishinvol]

Crazy !

 

[SpurHunter]

Really cool fish, looks like a channel, but could be a different species I guess.

 

[da83moon]

It kind of looks like a koi fish in some ways.

 

[SpeedFish]

Looks like the back leg of a dairy cow.

 

[shadygradyd]

Is this what happens to a fish that's been around the nuclear site too long?

 

[wildturkey]

Caught an albino with the pink eyes in Chick once about 10 years ago. Turned it loose to see if it would grow bigger and maybe someone else catch it. It was about 1.75 pounds when I caught it.

 

[STOUTBASSIN]

thats cool never seen one before thx for sharing the pic

 

[Justfishin]

That is cool looking what did you think it was when it came out of the water lol

 

[1nova]

Hate to burst bubbles but albino (and lots of piebald) channel cats are raised and sold very frequenly. You can almost always order some through the coop for farm pond stocking.

I would say it is an escapee.

 

[SethColeman]

That is still a cool looking fish!

 

[minner]

1nova - 7/26/2011 11:05 PM

Hate to burst bubbles but albino (and lots of piebald) channel cats are raised and sold very frequenly. You can almost always order some through the coop for farm pond stocking.

I would say it is an escapee.

(grew up on a commercial catfish farm) You are right albinos are quite normal especially in channel cats, BUT if we are talking about Whitetail deer, piebalds and albinos are not the same, I would guess the same would apply to fish..............

 

[[email protected]]

looks like hes lonley needs sum hot grease hush puppies cole slaw sweet tea and beer batter

 

[b.lee]

Funny, I was at a boat ramp just below Tellico dam yesterday, and saw one very similar cruising the shadows under the bridge. It looked like a marbled channel cat, but the water was a bit murky too, could very well have been white/grey.

I'd never seen one before, but not being a catfish expert by any means, didn't think it was off-the-chart weird. It was weird enough to be worth noting though!