Leeville angler boats rare 'leopard redfish'

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Leeville angler Sally Mabile caught a redfish Friday that had so many spots, she literally couldn't count them.

"I tried a few times, but when you get up near the head area, all the spots just run together," she said. "It almost looks like the fish is black with (copper) spots."

Although it looked odd, the 18-inch fish acted just like any other redfish, Mabile said.

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So-called 'leopard redfish' are indeed rare, but not unheard of. In January, Golden Meadow fishing guide Eddie Berthelot caught a 28-inch red that had more than 600 spots.

Southeastern Louisiana University fisheries professor Kyle Piller told NOLA.com such fish are the result of parents who both carry a recessive gene that produces excessive spotting.

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