Perhaps someone can clarify here. While on another club Forum a question was asked about split fins (pectoral ) on a muskie a concerned angler recently caught, he wanted to know how much harm does this do to a musky?
The answer he got was- " One of the questions I asked MNR biologist about Lake Simcoe Musky reintroduction program is how the fish wer marked for year of release. He told me they are not fin clipped because fins will grow back and are hard to ID that way. He goes on to say that split fins will grow back to being normal in time"
This does not sound right. Split fins do not unsplit and go back to the way they were. Do they?
Jason-
It is basically just skin in between bones that comprises the fin. Like any other skin it will heal back if given enough time in proximity to the other side. Unfortunately the pectorals are in almost constant motion as they help the fish stay correctly positioned. Most fish that we see with really bad fins are caused by fungal problem or other pathogens. A split has a good chance of healing to some degreee depending on how deep it is and what the environment of the fish is like. That is about the best answer I have, if someone cares to elaborate feel free.
Kevin
Clipped fins don't regenerate or at least to a fin that looks like a normal fin. Once the rays are completely cut it just turns into a nub, if the person cutting the fin (in a hatchery/stocking situation) missed getting all the way through a ray then the fish will grow a weird looking fin.
Split fins depend on the severity it seems and like a clipped fin it all seems to be related to the base of the fin. A fin that is split and bleeding 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the base of the fin seems to have no problem healing. A fin that is split all the way to the base seems like it is 50/50 some heal and some don't. Now this doens't mean that it is good for the fish to have split fins because the associated blood loss and possible infection site is a danger. Even on St Clair where fin friendly nets and netting techniques are rare I rarely catch fish with split fins.
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