Another Aaron Matos massive 'gill.

Comment

Comment by Christina on June 10, 2009 at 7:32pm

This is the fish that I thought made mine look tiny!

Comment by Bruce Condello on June 7, 2009 at 7:13pm

It's in Phoenix, Arizona.

Comment by Lance A. Cashler on June 7, 2009 at 7:10pm

Bruce, where is this? It's Moby gill!......Arrgh!

Comment by Bruce Condello on June 5, 2009 at 6:30pm

Yes, 10.25 inches was all it had. Extremely heavy fish however for it's length.

Comment by Jim Gronaw on June 5, 2009 at 5:42pm

Hey Bruce, did you happen to get a length on that fish? It's a high-rise, wide fish that I guess was from 11 to 11 1/2 inches long, no more.

Comment by John Sheehan on June 5, 2009 at 12:00pm

So Bruce -This fish I (see attached photo) was po'd at me for catching him and /or fending off nest egg stealers?Maybe actually pissed off at my lure! ...I'll have to try the bucket experiment but would suggest it would try to take on the color of the bucket as a protective coloration disguise.

Comment by Bruce Condello on June 5, 2009 at 11:49am

You're exactly right, John. That fish is p.o.'d. :-)

When you handle fish--especially breeding phase males, they will get upset and their pigmentation dramatically increases. They also respond to the holding tank in regards to the water clarity, and color or brightness of the surrounding walls.

Try an experiment sometime. Take two spawning males caught off of the beds, and put one in a five gallon white bucket, and the other in a five gallon black bucket and report back to me what happens to the color of the fish.

Comment by John Sheehan on June 5, 2009 at 11:31am

EXCELLENT!!! Why is it so black?...sometimes I see that in fish except not so exagerated..I've heard aggression makes them Black ...or is it their expression of intimidation ...what is that excessive blackness about?