Woman reels in rare leucistic catfish in Missouri

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI) – What started as a rainy fishing trip in St. Louis County ended with an unexpected surprise: a Missouri woman reeling in a rare leucistic catfish.

Hannah Nguyen made the nice catch near Des Peres Park on Thursday afternoon. Photos and videos she shared with Nexstar's KTVI show a catfish with a yellowish top and a bright white, albino-like tail and lower body.

Hannah, who frequently posts in Reddit community pages about fishing, said she hadn't had much luck lately — prior to Thursday, anyway. After doing some research, she picked a random spot using Apple Maps and sought to catch something special.

And it took some time, but it was well worth it. Hannah battled the leucistic catfish for nearly 40 seconds before she ultimately reeled it in.

Leucism is a genetic condition characterized by an overall pale appearance with patches of reduced pigmentation in an animal's skin, fur, feathers or scales. It occurs when pigment-producing cells fail to develop or migrate properly during growth. Albinism, by contrast, is caused by a complete lack of melanin production, not only affecting the skin, but also the eyes, which typically appear red or pink.

In a 2021 article from the Fulton Sun, a Missouri Department of Conservation specialist estimated that far fewer than 10% of fish experience leucism.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, catfish are typically white to silvery on their undersides with backs that range from grayish-blue to nearly black. An albino catfish is generally more peach-colored on its back.