A few years ago I was fishing in the Ashuelot River in winchester NH (at the bridge by thr rite aid) and caught some fallfish that had an odd metallic purple color to them. They also had tubercles on their head (the first time i saw that) so i assumed it was a breeding coloration. But I recently saw a picture of a fallfish with tubercles that was the normal silver color online.
If this isn't a breeding color does anyone know the cause? is it diet? A normal genetic variation? exposure to natural chemicals?
if i ever catch another purple fallfish i have to send you a picture of it.
fallfish coloration
Started by
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
, Apr 14 2009 03:38 AM
5 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_smilingfrog_*
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Posted 15 April 2009 - 02:05 AM
A few years ago I was fishing in the Ashuelot River in winchester NH (at the bridge by thr rite aid) and caught some fallfish that had an odd metallic purple color to them. They also had tubercles on their head (the first time i saw that) so i assumed it was a breeding coloration. But I recently saw a picture of a fallfish with tubercles that was the normal silver color online.
If this isn't a breeding color does anyone know the cause? is it diet? A normal genetic variation? exposure to natural chemicals?
if i ever catch another purple fallfish i have to send you a picture of it.
I'm a bit outside of Fallfish territory so can't address them specifically, but fish in general can vary quite a bit in color, both within a species and within an individual fish. Murky water or dark substrate can often incite a fish to "color up". Breeding colors can become even more vivid when a fish is excited by something ie another male he needs to chase off or a female he needs to impress. A fish that was already in breeding color then caught on a fishing line and fighting for its life may have been a bit more "pumped up" and really displayed its colors for you.
Color can also fade much more quickly than the tubercles can. A fish at the end of its breeding season may no longer be displaying its colors but still have its tubercles.
#4
Guest_dmarkley_*
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Posted 17 April 2009 - 11:46 AM
About 10 years ago I was fishing for trout in the Yellow Breeches Creek here in PA. I caught a fallfish that was also purplish. The thing was not quite 20 inches long and I had no idea what it was. While I was standing there with my fishing buddy, a Fish & Boat Commission officer came by and identified it as a fallfish, or as he put it, a big old kind of chub. Back into the creek it went. As it swam away, the officer said to me "almost 20 inches was it? Probably a state record". I looked it up and at least at that time it would have been! Oh well........
Dean
Dean
#5
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
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Posted 28 January 2012 - 03:16 AM
Yes fallfish get a purple color at breeding time.
I just found a nice picture of it http://media.photobu...07-fallfish.jpg
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