Fish shown has nerve damage.
Very interesting! Thanks for the information! I took another look at the photos, and the abdominal area does seem a bit sunken. So if neuropathy is leading to the color change, the correlating atrophy of the nearby musculature may also be evident. I confess I do not know the neuroanatomy of the bluegill, or the correlating dermatomes.
He seemed to swim normally, and was in good body condition. Visceral function apparently isn't being (grossly) affected. And he must be compensating just fine for any loss of locomotion.
Should have kept him. Dissection may have been instructive.
