Strange coloured tench

[Liphook]

Yes, Golden Tench do have these strange black markings on parts of their bodies & fins.

What is an artificial - a non-native? Carp (excluding Crucian), Orfe, Grass carp, Sturgeon species - - goldfish - ? Some are fun to catch - some it can get boring - some can do irreparable damage - Motherless Minnows!

The word I used was ornimental Olly not artificial. All farm reared fish could be considered artificial but with ornamental's there's a very distinct difference. I understand that rainbow trout, king carp etc are non native but have their role to play in modern angling. But fish specifically bred for their ability to be seen and indeed viewed are a few steps too far for me

[Wallys-Cast]

It's OrcaTinka the Killer Tench.

[Olly]

Well carp were ornamental and for food! Watch & decide which you fancied - rather like lobsters!

I have had a day on an ornamental pond of an acre in a friends garden stocked with various coloured fish and normal ones, black/brown/red/white/etc goldfish - some shubunkin type others fanfails! A few koi of various hues as well. A great day - yes! But everyday no not for me.

However a club I belong to has a water previously being an ornamental pond - produced a gold grass carp - never seen one before especially near 30lbs!

[Santiago]

It's genitically what we call a mosiac. It's a hybrid between an albino and a normal coloured tench. I forget the genitics but you see similar patternation in cows and other animals, and also plants.

[Olly]

""The incidence of albinism can be artificially increased in fish by exposing the eggs to heavy metals (e.g. arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, selenium, zinc).""

I wonder if that has any significance?

[Santiago]

Olly, those chemicals cause random mutations. I suspect most of the eggs subjected to these chemicals will die, those that survive will either be normal or have one or several mutations that don't affect their vitality much. One mutation in the pigmentation may produce an albino. So long as this fish has no diliterious mutation it will thrive just as much as the wild type, although it will be more susceptible to being preyed upon.

[Dave Burr]

It's genitically what we call a mosiac. It's a hybrid between an albino and a normal coloured tench. I forget the genitics but you see similar patternation in cows and other animals, and also plants.

So it's a Friesian tench

[Santiago]

Exactly!

[Michael]

This is from a Dutch tench fishing site, it's a blue'ish grey tench..

[John Harding]

I caught a tench in one of my club's ponds a few years ago which was a very light grey colour, in fact I caught it on two separate occasions, every other tench I caught there was the normal olive green colour.

Regards,
John