Catfish are usually brown with dark spots, but a 15-year-old boy fishing in Tennessee had a unique catch when he hooked one that is completely white.
Edwards Tarumianz caught a giant fish on the morning of June 28, but he and the rest of the crew were more impressed by the catfish’s impressive tone than by its monstrous size, as Field and Stream first reported.
The blue catfish was completely white with bright pink and purple around the fins and face, which could be the result of albinism or leucism.
Albinism is a condition in which pigment is absent in the skin and hair and is found among several animals, including humans.
Leucism, which is also a genetic condition, reduces pigmentation, leaving the animal pale or with spots of reduced coloration.
Edwards Tarumianz caught a giant fish on the morning of June 28, but he and the rest of the crew were more impressed by the catfish’s impressive tone than by its monstrous size.
Captain Richard Simms, who was the charter guide that day, posted images of Tarumianz and his catch on Facebook, along with a statement: “You can fish for catfish for the rest of your life and never catch, or even see, another fish.” how that.
“I’ve been catfishing seriously for 30 years, guiding for 17 of those, and that’s the first albino that’s come in my boat.”
However, biologists with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) told Field and Stream that they cannot determine what genetic condition the Tarumianz fish has.
Pure albino animals will have pink eyes, nails, skin and scales.
The blue catfish was completely white with bright pink and purple around its fins and face, which could be the result of albinism or leucism.
The pink coloration comes from blood vessels visible through the skin.
Animals with leucism may have mostly typical but lighter coloration patterns.
“Anyway, we all agree it’s a great and rare catch,” a TWRA spokesperson told Field and Stream.