In the United States, he caught a “golden” fish with a rare mutation that makes it easy prey (photo)

A fish with an extremely unusual mutation was discovered in the US state of Virginia. This was reported by the press service of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Fisherman Jacob Moore caught a strange-looking pale yellow fish in the James River while training for a fishing tournament.

At first he thought it was a marine fish, but upon closer inspection realized he was dealing with a freshwater perch. The fisherman released the fish after the photos were taken.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve seen a black-spotted bass, but I’ve never seen an albino like this,” Moore told department representatives.

However, he was not an albino. The golden color is caused by xanthism, a genetic mutation that causes the fish to turn a bright gold color and become easy prey for predators.

According to US Fish and Wildlife Service expert Katrina Liebich, this is a rare event that makes animals more vulnerable.

Camouflage helps to hide from potential predators and, on the other hand, allows you to hunt more efficiently, but yellow or orange fish become more noticeable.

Recall that the fishermen of Fukushima have high hopes for the so-called “happy tiger” as a symbol of the future. 12 years after the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, fishermen began catching puffer fish.

Previously Focus He reported that scientists believe that some fish have self-awareness, and that the myth of goldfish memory is a misconception about their intelligence.