When does adipose form?

[bakerboy2222]

I caught a couple of 4 inch rainbows today lacking an adipose fin on a stream that hasn't been stocked with rainbows for 40 years. Does the adipose not form until the fish is a certain age?

Have I stumbled across a new strain of super trout?

[stl_geoff]

They should have it if they are that big. When my aquarium trout where little ( less then 3" ) they still had them. They are really tiny at that size so you may have just not seen it.

[cimarron]

Sometimes fish hatcheries will cut off the adipose fin to mark them as hatchery fish. But you said stream hadn't been stocked in 40 yrs, I dunno.

[fredaevans]

Originally Posted by cimarron

Sometimes fish hatcheries will cut off the adipose fin to mark them as hatchery fish. But you said stream hadn't been stocked in 40 yrs, I dunno.

Exactly. That's the 'fin' that now gets clipped. Hell of a conversation going on (biology) as to what that adds to the fish and what happens if you clip it off.

General thought is the fin sends messages to the tail of 'What next.'

In personal simple terms: 'If God put it there, there had to be a darned good reason.' Millions of years of Evolution and they were the top of the heap.


fae

,

[fysh]

When does adipose form? At conception.
Oh wait a minute....wrong subject.

[flytyingcompany]

Anyone ever heard of the Icelandic tradition of when you catch your first Salmon in their waters... the adipose fin becomes an appetizer..

It is quite common though for hatchery fish to have their adipose fin removed.

[fredaevans]

Now that was darned interesting; not heard that before. Eat the fin.

PNW Native Americans always celebrated the first of the fall catch; Gift From Their God(s). Personal opin only, but I think they got it right. In the last dozen years I've kept just one for food, the rest have been released.

Fred Evans