Fish identifiers! I need your help! What is this thing???
A trip to Oakbank Pond Park revealed a large dead fish, caught in the reeds. It was 2-2.5 feet long and was grey-green in colour with no noticeable patterning. Its pectoral fin had been eaten away, but its dorsal fin, positioned closer to the tail, remained.
Photo 1 is of the entirety of the fish, its gills can be seen toward the left of the photo.
Photo 2 is of the head (top) and tail (bottom). The strangest thing about the fish were the repeating structures lining the sides of the body. What are they? Could they be caused by decomposition?
The head seemed to still be attached to the body. I believe I saw its empty eye socket. The head appears to be long and sloped.
Photo 3 is of the caudal fin. Looks pretty square and relatively small. It doesn't concave either.
Photo 4 offers a closer view of the gills and pectoral fin.
Photo 5 is of the whole fish again. The wind had blown it out of the reeds and closer to the observation deck. Its smell followed.
I've only ever seen Amur Carp in this pond. This fish seemed larger though. Any ideas?
Only perch around the dock; short and slender like this 6-1/2 inch specimen. No sign of the bluegills, pumpkinseed,
Six inches; skinny. Not seeing any adults in the shallow water near the dock. Appears to have parasites (black dots visible on the skin).
7 inches, which seems to be the size of most of the fish caught off this dock. This was the only one caught today; the fish sometimes present in good numbers some mornings and some evenings, with no consistent pattern.
Pumpkinseed and bluegills present at this location; pumpkinseed appear larger and bluegills present in larger numbers.
Approx 11 inches
7-1/4 inches; chunky; one of three fished of the dock today along with four bluegill, all at a depth of about 5-6 inches deep. These fish do not show sign of the parasites sometimes resulting in black, pepper-like spots on the skin. Have not observed this year.