Blue tail walleyes

I was on the big pond last fall and we caught several walleye that had blue coloring on their tails. This was the biggest at 28”. I have never seen that before and I was curious if anyone knows why that is.

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I’d guess they are whats left of the now extinct blue walleye sub species. Supposedly they trade some yellow to get a little blue tint from a skin mucous not normally present on a walleye. This is a pic of a 22″ walleye with a blue tint from ML i pulled in earlier this ice season.

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Blue pigment in walleye is typically a chemical called sandercyanin produced when mucous from the fish is exposed to UV light. According to the linked website it typically peaks in late summer.

Blue walleye research by Wayne Schaefer

That is pretty cool. The report said that the colored mucus might play a role in counter-shading. I wonder if they get an advantage in predation, a form of camo for their home waters? Maybe blending into the weeds or rocks. There would be more light and longer days during the period of cyanin production so prey could see better. Interesting to speculate about.

Very interesting! Thanks guys!