Orange Lips

[Coral Maestro]

I caught this Tench today here in France and was surprised at how orange the lips were:

It seems that most fish that come from the clear water barrages are vividly coloured.

[Catfish.017]

Looks like a Wrasse?

[Duckett]

That’s suits it very well! I wonder if there’s something in their diet that is unusual?

Phil

[Coral Maestro]

That’s suits it very well! I wonder if there’s something in their diet that is unusual?

Phil

I suspect their diet is a combination of crayfish and carp angler's bait.
There are now 6 species of crayfish present in France, most seem to have arrived from America:
The American crayfish (Orconectes limosus), Pacific crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), Louisiana crayfish (Procambarus clarkii),
Slender-legged crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus), Juvenile crayfish (Orconectes juvenilis) and the Calico crayfish (Orconectes immunis).
The Tench seem to have a good selection to go at!

[Grumpy]

Blimey!Hope they don't manage to cross the Channel.

[Wallyboy Rob]

We have been getting Tench in the Wally with orange bellies, I presumed there may have been a throwback gene to an ornamental fish but later was told that there had been reports of Carp becoming discoloured due to eating Dynamite baits red robin pellets which could explain the phenomena as the most popular bait in the lake upstream of the pool the Tench come from is red robin pellets, the chap that told me about the discoloured Carp also said that Dynamite baits were changing the ingredients in those pellets.

IMG-20201118-WA0001.jpg

[Coral Maestro]

That seems to have a hint of Golden Tench colouration in it. Are there any Golden Tench in the water?

[Wallyboy Rob]

None that I know of CM