Caught and photographed in a Florida bay by three fisherman friends, the orange filefish isn't all that rare
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himCaught and photographed in a Florida bay by three fisherman friends, the orange filefish isn't all that rare. But be careful not to eat it, as it could cause intoxication
Tom Bosworth, a fisherman from Florida, during a quiet afternoon of fishing with two friends, recovered this bizarre specimen of fish that looks like a tortilla in every way, if it were not for the anomalous pale color of the animal. The episode took place last March, but only recently the photos of the curious animal have been released via Facebook by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC).
It goes without saying that Bosworth had no idea what he had caught. Having pulled this bizarre specimen with his line, he first thought of a fish trapped in a white plastic bag. It wasn't until he approached the hook that he realized that he had actually caught a white fish, about half a meter long, covered with small white spots. After taking a few photos to capture the moment, the three fishermen released the tortilla fish and let it go.
The photos of the meeting were sent to the FFWCC which, after identifying the species, shared them again on social networks. It is a specimen of orange file fish (Aluterus schoepfii), and it is not as rare as it seems: every year, on average three people send photos of specimens of the species to the Commission to ask for information. Moreover, despite the name, the filefish is not only orange, but the various specimens of the species can have different shades of color ranging from olive green to gray to white. The fish is found mostly in the Atlantic Ocean, and loves to live on the seabed rich in algae.
If caught, it is best to immediately put it back into the sea and not use it as the main ingredient of a barbecue - both because its thick and leathery skin does not contain much meat inside it and also because this fish feeds on algae that can cause, in humans. , an intoxication called ciguatera.
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Fonte: MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife / Florida Museum
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