‘Zombie fish’ in Colorado sparks search for fish not seen in more than 120 years
Biologists are on a quest to find a “zombie fish” in Colorado.
The Yellowfin cutthroat trout was a fish that once grew up to 12 pounds and fed on other fish. But more than 120 years ago, it vanished.
Other fish that were thought to be extinct have recently reappeared in Colorado waters, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The Greenback cutthroat trout was found again, and the San Juan River cutthroat trout returned as well.
“So why couldn’t the legendary Yellowfin cutthroat, a giant among cutthroat last seen in Colorado waters in Twin Lakes near Leadville at the turn of the 20th century, still be hiding somewhere on the Colorado landscape?” wildlife officials said in a July 1 news release.
State aquatic biologists said the Yellowfin’s existence may be a longshot, but they’re going on a quest to find the fish. Biologists Alex Townsend and Paul Foutzwill are scouring wetlands, streams and ponds searching for the trout.
Experts have long said that pollution from mining, overfishing and the destruction of habitat caused its extinction.
“Foutz and Townsend are gambling they might uncover a hidden Yellowfin population after witnessing what happened in 2012 when Colorado’s fishing community was rocked when CPW aquatic biologists announced genetic DNA testing had confirmed a small population of spotted trout found in tiny Bear Creek in Colorado Springs,” officials said.
The crew doesn’t plan to give up. They’ll use modern technology and genetic testing to help find and identify the fish.
The team started sampling in June and will continue in the summers of 2023, 2024 and 2025 until “all potential waters” have been analyzed.
“This is a very exciting opportunity to explore these uncharted waters in search of the Yellowfin,” aquatic biologist Greg Policky said in the news release. “I dedicated my career to learning everything possible about these fish and I’m honored to be part of the CPW team conducting this search.”
This story was originally published July 1, 2022 at 1:18 PM with the headline "‘Zombie fish’ in Colorado sparks search for fish not seen in more than 120 years."