What is it? DEC put new white catfish fishing record on hold, pending a DNA test - newyorkupstate.com

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State Department of Environmental Conservation officials said late last week they are holding off officially recognizing a new state fishing record for a catfish recently caught in the Mohawk River, pending a DNA test.

The fish, caught by Chris Brockett, of Loudonville on Aug. 22 was initially thought to be a white catfish. Brockett caught in the fish from shore on cut bait near Waterford. It weighed 12 pounds and measured 30.5 inches long.

Brian Canzeri, a state conservation officer, witnessed the weighing of Brockett’s fish on an official scale, noting it beat the current white catfish state record of 10.5 pounds. That fish was caught by Joe Silicato in 1998 on the New Croton Reservoir in Westchester County.

White catfish, which are relatively rare in this state, are different from the more common channel catfish in several subtle ways.

Channel catfish get bigger have narrower heads; sharper forked tails, blackish chin barbels (whiskers) – and have 25 to 28 rays, while a white catfish has 22 to 25 rays. The rays are the flexible, fleshy parts of the fin between the spines that control the fin movements.

Brockett’s fish, Canzeri said, had a whitish belly; a wider, bullhead-like head, a shallow fork in its tail – and upon initial glance, a total of 24 rays. In his opinion, it was a white catfish.

A DEC fisheries biologist initially agreed with Canzeri, said Brockett, who was initially told he had the new record pending completion of some paperwork. That changed, though, the following day when a second look at the fish by a DEC staffer determined the fish had 27 rays.

DEC sought a second opinion. The frozen fish carcass was taken to the New York State Museum, where two ichthyologists examined it. The two were unable to reach a conclusion.

Canzeri accompanied Brockett when he brought the fish to the museum. The conservation officer said the ichthyologists counted the rays a total of six times – and came up with four different numbers. They said it was so borderline, they couldn’t determine whether it was a white or a channel catfish.

As a result, they decided to send the fish away for DNA analysis. That testing will take several weeks to finish, Brockett was told.

“It’s weird. It’s a mess. I just want to know what the hell it is,” the frustrated angler said.

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What is it? DEC put new white catfish fishing record on hold, pending a DNA test - newyorkupstate.com
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