tench with red spots

[Andy_1984]

andy macfarlane and myself were fishing a pond, andy had 2 tench one of which was littered with tons tiny red spots. the location of which i cannot remember but maybe andy does.

 

the only reference i could find was "Red Pest" but only pictures i could find with fish with this "red pest" were large red blotches but these spots on andy's tench were tiny prickly spots.

 

any ideas ?

 

one thing i thought of myself were the amount of leeches in this pond if that helps trying to figure out what these spots are

[Chris Plumb]

I've caught tench at Yateley which had a definate red hue to their underbelly - a variant known as vermillion tench so I'm led to believe!

 

 

C.

[Andy Macfarlane]

When I looked at the fish, I didn't see anything that suggested the markings were a result of parasites or disease and the more I've looked online, the more I believe the marks are a result of natural pigmentation.

 

Also, the water is relatively small and even smaller, is the most productive bay, which contains a fairly large head of tench. I would think with the tench living in such a confined area, the disease would be far more prevalent. Instead, we only know of the one fish I caught and the one that angler we met had caught.

[weirwulf]

I caught a good one Friday that was completely red spotted from about half way down but brushed aside the initial idea of disease and assumed it was from spawning. I went on to land about a dozen more Tincas but no more had the marks so I am a bit concerned I have returned an unhealthy fish(apart from the fact it fought like a demon!)

[watatoad]

I am no expert but red spots can indicate a bacterial infection. In some fish you get Hemorrhagic Septicemia which are red spots or blotches under the skin. Carp are known to suffer from Herpesviruse. I don't know if it affects tench or if what yours have got is something similar? Plus there is that disease called red disease in Tench but although I have heard of it I have never seen it.

 

http://www.cemexangling.co.uk/forums/archi...hp/t-42147.html

 

http://old.vri.cz/docs/vetmed/49-1-19.pdf

[arbocop]

I caught a 3lb chub last year that had a huge red tumour on it's tail - in fact it had no wrist really, just this huge red lump the size of a golf ball. It didn't seem bothered - it pulled like stink.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I don't think it's red disease. Like I say, it didn't resemble a sore of any type and no other fish had it, in a very confined area.

[Anderoo]

I remember reading an article in one of the monthlies last spring, which described (and had photos of) that condition. They reckoned it wasn't disease, just a strange (and rather pretty) environmental adaptation. Get some photos next time you go!

 

I've also caught chub with tumour-type things, plus various fish with all kinds of injury from predation (several chub last year which had their tails pretty much chewed off and were still bleeding, and a trout which was sliced almost completely open - I was amazed it was still feeding). I always put them back. Nothing is wasted in nature.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Anderoo

[Andy Macfarlane]

If I happen to catch another, I'll be sure to take pictures next time. I didn't take any because didn't think it was anything to be concerned about. I'm quite vigilant when it comes to fish diseases, so the fact I didn't take a picture also suggests it was nothing to be alarmed about.

The markings were actually very pretty.