23 Sep Are Redfish Secretly Spelling Messages? The Curious Case of Fish Tails.
You reel in a redfish. You look at its tail. And you swear there’s an “A” there. Or a “3” or maybe a heart.
Are you seeing things? Or are nature, genetics, and chance doing some really weird art?
What’s the Story
Here’s what’s been going on:
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Anglers have been reporting redfish (aka “red drum”) with spots on their tails that look uncannily like letters, numbers, symbols. Everything from “E”, “A”, “0-9”, to hearts, smiley faces, even the word “go”. mint+1
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One fisherman named Andrew Brown has been collecting photos via his site / Instagram (“Drum Spots”). Over time, he’s seen nearly the whole alphabet and numbers too. mint
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Examples are widespread: the fish with someone’s initials, symbolic shapes like hearts, logos (some say Under Armour-like), even funny ones like a “middle finger” spot. mint
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Scientists weigh in: the spots are like freckles or “false eyes” — markings that might help camouflage, confuse predators, or serve as protective features. But none say there’s any intentional messaging going on. mint
What Could Be Going On
Here are some hypotheses, some more plausible than others:
| Hypothesis | What It Implies | Odds of Being True |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic Variation | Random patterns of pigment, shaped by genes + environmental factors, sometimes line up into shapes we recognize. Like seeing faces in clouds. | High |
| Selective Perception / Pareidolia | Humans are really good at seeing familiar shapes in random patterns (letters, faces, symbols). So many of these sightings may be our brain filling in gaps. | Very High |
| Environmental Influence | Perhaps water quality, diet, stress or habitat conditions cause spot patterns to change or mutate in odd ways. | Moderate |
| Editing / Hoaxes | Some photos might be enhanced, doctored, or mis-framed to exaggerate the shape. | Low to moderate |
| Some Kind of Evolutionary Signal? | Less likely: that these are adaptive signals (for mating, species recognition) or defenses (false eyes, confusing predators). But “writing messages” seems a stretch. | Low |
Why People Care
This isn’t just fish-porn (fish + weirdness); it touches on bigger things:
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Connection & Meaning: Humans love patterns and meaning. When nature looks like it’s sending messages, it feels deeply satisfying or mystical.
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Art & Pop Culture: These fish are feeding social media — photos, memes, natural art. People love weird nature.
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Conversation Starter: What does it mean when we see messages in nature? Where is the line between science & wonder?
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Science & Conservation: These stories bring attention to fish, anglers, ecosystems. More interest = more eyes on habitat, environment, conservation.
What to Do / What to Watch
If you’re curious or want to dig deeper:
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Document carefully: take photos, mark fish size/location, habitat, water conditions. See if patterns correlate with geography or conditions.
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Get experts involved: biologists who study fish pigmentation, genetics, environmental stress. They can test whether these patterns are heritable or environmental.
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Use it as storytelling: brands, media outlets, nature programs — this is golden content. Tap into fascination, mystery, science.
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Be skeptical but open: check for editing, misinterpretation. Always ask: Am I seeing what’s really there — or what I want to see?
m2 Take
Sometimes the wildest “mysteries” are just nature messing around. But there’s beauty in that — in the randomness.
Whether those redfish tails are whispering messages or just flashing freckles, they tell us something: we want nature to mean something. Maybe that’s enough for now.