What'd cause it?

[Nightprowler]

I caught a few crappie this morning and noticed one had red color spots showing through it scales on both sides. It was healthy as the rest but looked like it had the chicken pox. The fillets were normal and the inside of it's skin was fine. Anybody ever seen anything like it?

[john h]

picture?

[WRHaynes]

I was actually just talking about that in another thread, there are a LOT of fish like this up at Guist creek, but haven't seen a one at another body of water very local. From what's been discussed so far, seems as it's a disease that some panfish get, and seems as though any fish can get but from what I've personally caught lately, it's just bream and such. I personally haven't seen any crappie come out like this yet. Not sure exactly what it is.

[CrappiePappy]

those were lesions caused by bacterial infections. Hot lake water, stress, human handling, fighting among "schoolmates", and a number of other things can decrease the slime layer or decrease the health of these fish ... allowing, if not perpetrating, the bacteria to get a foothold in the damaged area.

The meat should be OK to consume, provided you aren't into Crappie "sushi" :D

.... cp

[WRHaynes]

Wow, nice to know, cp, does the infection spread from one fish to another, or is it irrelevant to kill the fish so it doesn't spread?

[Bullsprig]

anchor worms????

[CrappiePappy]

Wow, nice to know, cp, does the infection spread from one fish to another, or is it irrelevant to kill the fish so it doesn't spread?

that was as much a semi-educated guess, as anything ... based on fish I've seen, and stories I've heard. (that's why I said "could be" )

If it is what I suspect, a bacterial infection, it probably won't actually spread from fish to fish ... but, just affect any fish that has a lowered immune system due to any of the mentioned conditions (low oxygen, hot water, stress related, injuries, angler handling, etc). It would be hard to determine, without seeing a picture of the affected fish. (and even then it may take a Wildlife Biologist, to be certain)
Killing the fish and returning it to the water would do no good, but probably wouldn't do any harm, either ... at least not to the healthy population. Removing the fish from the water, would not really impact matters much, either ... since the "conditions" (of environment) are the culprit, and the fish is a victim.
There are other diseases/conditions that produce "red spots" on fish ... and luckily most of them are only asthetically negative. Proper cooking kills all the "nastys" ... shame it don't do as much for absorbed pollutants.

... cp