Anyone Know What Kind Of Fish These Are?

[taxidermist]

Smallies dont always have the vertical barring. most times they are the plain brown wrapper.

[Fishinokie1]

That makes sense. I had the idea of parasites in the back of my mind but I never gave it much thought. That definitely explains the discoloration of the fish. Think I should report this to Missouri Conservation?

Fishinokie1, could you post the link to the article you read? Thanks!

here ya go...

http://www.wormonahook.com/502/what-are-the-black-dots-in-the-flesh-of-some-smallmouth-bass/

[Chief Grey Bear]

Yep, they're nasty. It seems the dingier and slower the water is, the more likely they'll have those things...largemouth, too. Don't see them on smallmouth so much. But that's not scientific, just my experience. But don't let it stop you from stringing up those spots and, uh...eating them.

Oh I see them all the time in brownies when I fish rivers east of the James. But I just fry them up anyway. They just fry away in the hot grease. I wouldn't worry about them.

[eric1978]

Oh I see them all the time in brownies when I fish rivers east of the James. But I just fry them up anyway. They just fry away in the hot grease. I wouldn't worry about them.

Do you find the same thing that the worms are more abundant in dirtier, warmer water, or is that just my imagination?

[Chief Grey Bear]

I couldn't tell ya. Of the times that I have kept a bass it has been in the 10-12 inch range from MDC lakes. Now you get you a mess of them, and you got some good eating. I don't like the bigger ones.

[eric1978]

I couldn't tell ya. Of the times that I have kept a bass it has been in the 10-12 inch range from MDC lakes. Now you get you a mess of them, and you got some good eating. I don't like the bigger ones.

Yeah, I got ya. A lot of times I'll see them on and around their gills...that's the only way I know they're there. It's been years since I cut up a bass.

[Tim Smith]

The parasite's genus name is "Neascus" and it's common throughout the Midwest. It's a fluke that has one of its life history stages in a snail so the prevalence of snails is associated with the presence of the parasite on fish. If you cook the fish they're not harmful...

...although I agree with Chambug about the crappie and trout. Native smallies aren't for the pan.

[Fisherman Sam]

Yeah as far as eating, crappie and trout are definitely the way to go. To be honest I dont think Ive ever eaten smallmouth meat. Does it taste good? Thanks for all of the info everyone!

[Al Agnew]

Guys, everybody is right about the black spot parasites...except the black splotches on those smallies are not black spot parasites!

All smallmouth have "pigment cells" in their skin. These cells have a black pigment that can expand and contract within the cells. It's the way smallies change color from darker to lighter and from bars and splotches to no bars and splotches, which smallmouth do in response to several different stimuli, including excitement, stress, light levels, and a chameleon-like effect to allow them to closely match the shade of color in their habitat.

Those black splotches you see on the smallmouth in the picture are pigment cells that are "blooming". I don't know the exact cause of it, but it seems that on smallies that are mainly light-colored, which most of the smallies in sunlit water on a clear stream like the Huzzah, some of the cells on the lower sides and belly will stay dark...don't know whether it's a physiological problem or if it's just that the fish don't have to "worry" about their lower sides and bellies because most of their predators come from above. But anyway, most smallmouth have a lot of those darker spots and small splotches on their lower portions, but when the fish is darker overall, they don't show up as strongly. Assuming that was three different fish, the great similarity in the location of those splotches could mean that the fish were from the same or related broods and it's a genetic thing.

Black spot parasites look different. For one thing, they are usually scattered over the fish, and can especially be found in the fins. They are much smaller than the dark spots in the pictures, pretty much pinhead sized, and very cleary little black dots instead of little splotches, if that makes sense. And they won't be clustered so thickly in one area like that.

[Tim Smith]

Guys, everybody is right about the black spot parasites...except the black splotches on those smallies are not black spot parasites!

All smallmouth have "pigment cells" in their skin. These cells have a black pigment that can expand and contract within the cells. It's the way smallies change color from darker to lighter and from bars and splotches to no bars and splotches, which smallmouth do in response to several different stimuli, including excitement, stress, light levels, and a chameleon-like effect to allow them to closely match the shade of color in their habitat.

Those black splotches you see on the smallmouth in the picture are pigment cells that are "blooming". I don't know the exact cause of it, but it seems that on smallies that are mainly light-colored, which most of the smallies in sunlit water on a clear stream like the Huzzah, some of the cells on the lower sides and belly will stay dark...don't know whether it's a physiological problem or if it's just that the fish don't have to "worry" about their lower sides and bellies because most of their predators come from above. But anyway, most smallmouth have a lot of those darker spots and small splotches on their lower portions, but when the fish is darker overall, they don't show up as strongly. Assuming that was three different fish, the great similarity in the location of those splotches could mean that the fish were from the same or related broods and it's a genetic thing.

Black spot parasites look different. For one thing, they are usually scattered over the fish, and can especially be found in the fins. They are much smaller than the dark spots in the pictures, pretty much pinhead sized, and very cleary little black dots instead of little splotches, if that makes sense. And they won't be clustered so thickly in one area like that.

Oh heck. Next time I'll actually click on the picture instead of just getting in line for a drive by. Al's right. Neascus is a sharp pin prick black dot. They can cluster a bit but this is clearly something different. Thanks for the catch, Al.