Weird looking fish in bow river?

[Pike'n'walleye]

saw a bunch of these today on the bow. I wonder what they are. never seen them before. :)

[C Taylor]

not sure if tis just the pic but looks like what my wife has in the aquarium

[walking buffalo]

saw a bunch of these today on the bow. I wonder what they are. never seen them before. :)

I don't have a clue??? Where did you see the fish?

Did you keep one? If so, please take some more pics with focus on the mouth, eye, and the fins.

This may be worth reporting to the local fish bio....send Chris a photo and description of location.

Paul.Christensen@gov.ab.ca
403-297-7199
Calgary

[Ruger1022]

Kinda to small to tell but Golden Trout would be my guess....

Golden Trout are not native to Canada, but are most commonly found in California. Being introduced to Alberta in the early 1960's they are still very rare, and can only be found in a few locations in the southern Eastern Slopes. They have been apart of the Alberta stock program but are only distributed in low quantities at select locations.

Maybe the stocking truck got his paperwork mixed up and dumped a bunch in the bow??:bad_boys_20:

[Christofficer]

Goldfish, looks like the feeder kind. Might be wrong, but I'm guessing there's thousands more being dumped in there every year. Can't wait to catch some piranhas. LOL.


No need to worry, they'd die in the winter. But I'd be a little concerned if you had caught a snakehead instead.

I'd like to know where you caught this as well. Maybe the dumpers can be caught red handed.

[wolf]

Did it have a hook hole? Maybe someone was using as a bait and it got a way. It does not look like a gold fish...more like a minnow especially similar to this one


http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Pimephales_promelas.php

or

http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/friends_of_fish/news/archive/2007/03/18/rosy-red-fathead-minnow-care-sheet.aspx

[AndrewM]

Goldfish, looks like the feeder kind. Might be wrong, but I'm guessing there's thousands more being dumped in there every year. Can't wait to catch some piranhas. LOL.


No need to worry, they'd die in the winter. But I'd be a little concerned if you had caught a snakehead instead.

I'd like to know where you caught this as well. Maybe the dumpers can be caught red handed.

Goldfish do not die in the winter. They will survive like the other fish. Hopefully they are not goldfish as they will quickly multiply.

[Guitarplayingfish]

Actually, most places goldfish WILL die in the winter... Ive seen them frozen in the top layers of ice before.

[AndrewM]

I have a friend who has a dugout filled with them that is definitely not heated.

[chubbdarter]

I have a friend who has a dugout filled with them that is definitely not heated.

Ive seen them winter over in small aerated ponds on peoples acerages, there was some huge ones in Henderson lake too.

[Kokanee9]

My parents used to have a pond in the back yard with goldfish. They used to survive even with a layer of ice on the top in the fall. Dad used to go out in the mornings and break the ice on the surface until it got too thick. They could be seen swimming under the ice. Goldfish also don't need highly oxygenated water. How many people have them in a small fish bowl without an air pump?

[Redfrog]

I made a pond from one of the old fiberglass sat dishes. It was on the caost but still froze over every winter. I found a couple little brown carp in a bird bath size pond on one of my jobs. They were about 2-3 inches long. Those fish not only survived but spawned every year and my wife sold about 100 pond fish each year. Every color combo imaginable and up to six inches in length.

Ontario lakes have lots in and the lakes freeze over .

[alacringa]

Goldfish, looks like the feeder kind.

x2. My first thought was that it looked like a feeder fish. Sold in pet stores, used to fed carnivorous fish in aquaria. Probably some moron using them for bait.

[C Taylor]

when it comes to feeder fish the orange ones seem to get ate first. The wife got tired of buying expensive fish to kill ,so she ended up keeping some feeders, they are way tougherto kill. they are now about 5"

[TyreeUM]

ok so you saw a bunch of these in the river, and you caught this one...seems fishy...

[Swolf]

I agree as long as there are NO Snakeheads (or Flying Carp) in the Bow or any other body of water in Canada. Gold Fish I can deal with.

[alacringa]

ok so you saw a bunch of these in the river, and you caught this one...seems fishy...

It is a fishy, Tyree... :D

[chubbdarter]

Mish@ might know

[Pike'n'walleye]

It was caught south of 22X bridge

[buckmaster]

Actually, most places goldfish WILL die in the winter... Ive seen them frozen in the top layers of ice before.

There are thousands of them in a stormwater lake in south edmonton.I would think they survive very good in winter.

[CanadianEh]

Maybe it is a small Lightning trout!!

http://minijigs.com/images/EXOTICSPECIESOF.jpg

[Christofficer]

Did it have a hook hole? Maybe someone was using as a bait and it got a way. It does not look like a gold fish...more like a minnow especially similar to this one


http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Pimephales_promelas.php

or

http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/friends_of_fish/news/archive/2007/03/18/rosy-red-fathead-minnow-care-sheet.aspx

Yeah you're right, that looks more like it. If someone is down there again soon check for more.

[walking buffalo]

Did it have a hook hole? Maybe someone was using as a bait and it got a way. It does not look like a gold fish...more like a minnow especially similar to this one


http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Pimephales_promelas.php

or

http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/friends_of_fish/news/archive/2007/03/18/rosy-red-fathead-minnow-care-sheet.aspx

They do look similar....

If the OP pic is a Fathead Minnow, this particular fish could be native and not introduced. This link shows the common color phase of the fish.

http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vexhibit/fishes/fish.cfm?id=11