A rare orange-yellow fish has been caught during a routine survey in a harbour in New York state, US wildlife officials said.
Biologists conducting an aquatic invasive species survey in Oswego Harbour immediately noticed the unusual colouring of the native burbot, the US Fish and Wildlife Service said.
The fish has xanthochromism, a biological condition that suppresses normal pigmentation and produces a yellow-orange colour, the agency said.
“Xanthochromism is considerably less common in wild fish than albinism or melanism, making this an especially unusual capture,” officials said.
The discovery was also notable because burbot populations in the lake are extremely low and the fish typically live in deeper, cooler waters than those in the harbour, the service said.
It was the first documented detection of a burbot during a fisheries survey in Oswego Harbor, although anglers have reported catching a few, it added.
