Catfish caught on river had a big, invasive fish stuck in its throat, MO video shows

Wildlife officials hunting for an invasive species were surprised recently when a catfish they pulled from a Missouri river had just the creature they were looking for trapped in its throat.

In mid-September, officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation set out along the Lamine River in search of silver carp, the department said in a Sept. 17 Facebook post.

Silver carp are an invasive fish species originating from China that can wreck native ecosystems, and even pose a danger to people in some circumstances, experts say.

While in the midst of an “invasive carp removal effort,” a blue catfish was caught — seemingly in a classic case of wrong place, wrong time — and officials noticed something unusual.

In video shared by the department, something can be seen at the back of the catfish’s throat. It’s unclear what at first, but the camera peers deeper and reveals a tail and fin sticking up from the gullet, a fish trapped partway between freedom and doom.

And it’s not just any fish, officials discovered, it was a silver carp.

“Fisheries staff say blue cats eating silver carp this size is uncommon as they typically go for smaller meals. But they are opportunistic feeders,” officials said.

It’s unclear what became of the catfish, if it survived its ghastly miscalculation. Whatever the case, the department saluted it for eliminating one more silver carp from Missouri’s waters.

“Just helping the cause,” the officials said.

As mentioned earlier, silver carp are destructive to native ecosystems, and their presence can spell the end for native species by outcompeting them and otherwise throwing off the natural balance, McClatchy News reported.

Additionally, they have a habit of launching out of the water when feeling threatened and can slam into people with enough force to cause injury, according to wildlife experts. And it doesn’t take much to set them off — the sound of a boat motor, a passing train, waterfowl taking flight, or even a tossed stone are enough to send them flying missile-like into the air.

The Lamine River is a tributary of the Missouri River, an off-shoot snaking roughly 64 miles through central Missouri.

This story was originally published September 18, 2024 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Catfish caught on river had a big, invasive fish stuck in its throat, MO video shows."