A Missouri woman snagged a rare catch while going fishing with her family.
Holly Haddan’s once-in-a-lifetime catch was identified by officials as a golden crappie, which is born with a genetic condition that makes its scales a shiny, vibrant yellow color.
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Holly Haddan found an extremely rare golden crappie fish in her private pond on Wednesday.
(Missouri Department of Conservation)
In a Facebook post, the Missouri Department of Conservation shared a picture of the unique fish. The department said the vibrant golden color is caused by a genetic condition called xanthochroism.
Xanthochroism causes yellow or orange pigmentation in animals, similar to how albinism causes a lack of pigment, according to the department. The genetic condition can occur in a variety of animals, not only fish.
“It was definitely a shock to reel it in.” Haddan wrote in a comment.
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The angler noted how it was particularly surprising because she found the rare golden crappie in her private pond near Springfield, Missouri.
