This eight-foot long albino catfish was caught in the Ebro River near Barcelona, Spain by a gentleman from the UK. Weighing 194 pounds, this is a Wels Catfish, and is far from the record, which is 250 lbs for a fish caught on rod and reel in the Po River of northern Italy.
.
Technically speaking it's not exactly an albino, in fact you can see some pigmentation in the mouth/eye area. It's most likely a different phenotype from the usual one, possibly white but not albino. Still bleeming impressive.
ReplyDeleteAlbinism in reptiles, fish and birds is a bit different than that in humans and most other mammals because they can fix carotenoid pigments derived from their diets and because of the presence of other pigments unaffected by albinism such as porphyrins, pteridines and psittacins. I *think* this fish is a true albino, but I would not bet the farm either way.
ReplyDeleteP
mmm, interesting!
ReplyDeleteIt's pictures like this that make me glad that I don't swim in any water where I can't see what's in it. I know we might not have such specimens here, but we have other things too...muskie, walleye, carp, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen houseboating, after looking at the 2-foot long carp that lived under the boat (we had beached it and had a good view of the shallows in the mornining sun, so could see fish and whatnot), I pretty much refused to swim near the boat the rest of the time. Only when out tubing or sailing would I go in.