Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Anyone ever seen a bass like this?

Guy on another forum I am on posted this bass caught this weekend out of a pond. Has anyone ever seen one this black? Nobody on the forum had - guy said all the fish in the pond are healthy and normal

A bass that black is likely blind in one or both eyes, obviously one eye in your picture. That dark color is common in bluegill that are blind or near blind in one or both eyes. When the fish cannot see well there is an interruption of the visual stimulation that control the pigment chromatophores in the skin.

Bill,

Roundworm infestation?

Blindness in that bass isn't caused by a roundworm infestation. It's likely caused by injury. I've seen, on several occasions, a lake with quite a few blind bass, because the owner applied way too much fertilizer and created a bloom that affected water chemistry, and burned the fish's eyes. Later, with a dense bloom, he ended up having a major fish kill. In his case, he overdid it.
For this bass, it unfortunately is blind in both eyes. That's why it's black. Many fish adjust their color based on environment. That's the case here. The fish "see" dark, therefore it turns dark.

How can a LMB eat enough to stay alive if blind in both eyes? I know they have the lateral line to sense movement but is that enough to localize the food enough to get it in it's mouth?

I used to have a black bass like that. Blind for sure.

We called it "Dark Star."

No, no sunil Dark Star was the stuff you were drinking not the fish... lol

RC