Really Strange Fish!

August 25, 2016, 03:53:00 PM

I have some friends that want me to take them bowfishing. I donated a bowfishing trip at the annual Lone Star Bowhunters Assn banquet, and a good friend won. Anyway, they want to go to a nearby Lake that has plecostomus (plecos, for short). Yes, these are the same little sucker fish that you see in aquariums. Someone let some go in a local river/lake, and they have gone crazy. They are very bad for the river ecosystem, and really mess things up for the native fish. Anyway, I went there last night to see how the conditions were, and to see if I could find the fish. The water was horrible. Dirty as heck. I only shot 4 plecos and one tilapia in several hours. We decided to postpone our trip till the water clears up.

But man, these are some strange, prehistoric looking fish!!!!

They all seem to have different patterns, kinda like fingerprints, and their skin is as rough as 80 grit sandpaper!!

And here is the one good eating fish I got, a nice sized tilapia.

Bisch

Petrichor · August 25, 2016, 04:03:00 PM

Good shooting man. Always wanted to go bow fishing.

Bladepeek · August 25, 2016, 04:18:00 PM

Those would make some great inlays in a leather sheath!

STICKBENDER98 · August 25, 2016, 04:27:00 PM

If they get big enough or you get enough small ones they'd make great skins for a bow too

elkken · August 25, 2016, 04:31:00 PM

Nasty looking little buggers

VictoryHunter · August 25, 2016, 05:11:00 PM

Looks like a plecostomus like people put in their fish tanks to clean them.

Will Cocke 2 · August 25, 2016, 05:16:00 PM

Crazy looking little suckers.

wingnut · August 25, 2016, 05:21:00 PM

Yep Plecos, those are very nice ones. I have them in my aquaponics tanks to keep the algae down. If they have food, they grow very fast.

Mike

lt-m-grow · August 25, 2016, 05:39:00 PM

Huh. Interesting. Their skin is kinda cool and like you said...all different. I am trying to think of another animal that has this wide of variation in skin patterns and cannot.

Anybody?

Cyclic-Rivers · August 25, 2016, 05:42:00 PM

Congrats Bisch.

There are hundreds of Varieties usually assigned with an L#. L24, L047, L085, L033 and L333 are some of of my favorites. I have sold hundreds of these back when I worked in the aquaculture field. L190 was a big seller. The ancistrus/hypancistrus species are pretty cool. Most dont get that large but in the wrong eco system I can see how they would be invasive.

I used to breed/import them for a hatchery operation.

Thumper Dunker · August 26, 2016, 12:43:00 AM

That's not skin on them that's armor plating.
Big scales. Had a ton of the smaller types when I was into cichlids. Good shooting. Ever try eating one ?

Pine · August 26, 2016, 12:51:00 AM

I'm curious if they are good eating too .
Some ugly fish are very good eating .

neuse · August 26, 2016, 07:24:00 AM

It woyuld appear they have no natrual predators, so over population could occur quickly.

August 26, 2016, 09:06:00 AM

I have not ate one. A buddy tried to get into one to eat it, and their skin is tough as boot leather. They don't have a lot of meat. The only info I could find on the net about eating them was sketchy. I think I will stick with eating the tilapia and the bigger gar.

Bisch

twitchstick · August 26, 2016, 09:25:00 AM

They look like a fun target. Congarts

starshooter · August 27, 2016, 12:00:00 PM

Snakehead?

August 27, 2016, 02:51:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by starshooter:
Snakehead?

No! As stated in the original post, plecostomus!

Bisch

Sixby · August 27, 2016, 04:52:00 PM

Armored Catfish, South and Central American. Some in Louisiana and Fla.

God bless, Steve

Possum Head · August 28, 2016, 08:02:00 AM

Bisch, would a large on be 1 lb?

August 28, 2016, 08:15:00 AM

I was told the other day that the TBBR record is right at 6#. I have seen several that would go 2-2.5#. So, no, I think a large one would go considerably more than 1#.

Bisch