Missouri woman catches rare golden crappie

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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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. 

The angler noted how it was particularly surprising because she found the rare golden crappie in her private pond near Springfield, Missouri.