Fish with alarming ‘blue-green’ mouths are being caught in New Mexico lake, state says

Anyone who has consumed too much Kool-Aid knows what it does to the tongue, and something a lot like that is happening to fish caught in one New Mexico lake.

Pike from Navajo Lake near the state’s Colorado border are showing up with a mysterious “blue-green mouth coloration,” according to New Mexico Game and Fish.

Photos show it’s as creepy-looking as it sounds, with the fish looking as if they guzzled blue food coloring.

The phenomenon was reported Aug. 19 by angler Jim McDonald, who was on the lake with a friend when they noticed something odd about their pike.

“Two of the fish I caught had a blue-green mouth and tongue. This is the first time that I have seen this,” McDonald wrote. “Both fish were caught at the edge of the weed line.”

Pike caught in deeper water that day showed no signs of the coloration, he added.

It’s not the first time this has happened at the lake, officials said. However, the cause remains a mystery.

Among the theories: It’s “related to diet or possibly genetics,” according to the post.

NM Game and Fish officials are now asking other anglers to report similar sightings, so they can get to the bottom of it.

“We are looking for more documented cases. Location, date and anything else you feel is important for our biologists to know would be helpful,” NM Game and Fish said.

This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Fish with alarming ‘blue-green’ mouths are being caught in New Mexico lake, state says."