What is this stuff?

[Zak]

My local lake had these things that may be egg masses, or decaying vegetation. They are 8-10 inches long and maybe 2.5 inches wide. They look like a string of stacked translucent white disks. Hard to get a picture through the water. What are they?

 

[Stonedfish]

Some type of eggs?
SF

 

[Zak]

Some type of eggs?
SF

I think so, but I'm not sure and have no idea what kind.

 

[Stonedfish]

I think so, but I'm not sure and have no idea what kind.

Maybe Frog eggs?
SF

 

[Zak]

Maybe Frog eggs?
SF

These do not look like any frog eggs I have seen. They look a lot like these whelk snail eggs (but more gelatinous), but this is freshwater:

Egg-citing Finds!

By Rebecca Ruger So, you’re walking along the beach when you stumble across what looks to be the skeleton of an eel, or maybe even something as exciting as a marine species long thought extinct. It looks like a snake-shaped connected mass of bone or cartilage. What you have found is indeed a...

www.beachcombingmagazine.com

 

[Zak]

After a bit of Googling, I think they are yellow perch egg skeins:

Predators reject yellow perch egg skeins

Yellow perch produce eggs in gelatinous ribbons, but so far nobody knows why. We explored this peculiar trait by conducted some experiments to see if these ribbons protect eggs from predators. Help…

thefisheriesblog.com

 

[Stonedfish]

These do not look like any frog eggs I have seen. They look a lot like these whelk snail eggs (but more gelatinous), but this is freshwater:

Egg-citing Finds!

By Rebecca Ruger So, you’re walking along the beach when you stumble across what looks to be the skeleton of an eel, or maybe even something as exciting as a marine species long thought extinct. It looks like a snake-shaped connected mass of bone or cartilage. What you have found is indeed a...

www.beachcombingmagazine.com

They looked eyed to me, but hard to tell from the pic and my eyesight sucks. I agree, not very froggish looking.
SF

 

[Northern]

Interesting article, Zak!

I think the takeaway is that no matter how snazzy those would look on your sushi...just don't

 

[Bambooflyguy]

I’m not going to eat that......let’s get Mikey to try it!!

 

[Zak]

I had brain-like bryozoans a couple years ago, now these perch skeins, it is weird world under the surface!

 

[Irafly]

Thanks for the article. I’ve seen something similar and their were perch in that lake for sure.

 

[Bass-O-Matic]

Surely an excellent source of protein!
Careful not to overcook.

 

[Zak]

Surely an excellent source of protein!
Careful not to overcook.

I think they might be tastier if you cut them out of the fish.

 

[Kenneth Yong]

I'm amazed that it took 14 posts to get to: Atlantic Salmon something or other .

 

[FishyJere]

Dang, I got beat. I say skins from molting Atlantic Salmon.

 

[Bruce Baker]

My local lake had these things that may be egg masses, or decaying vegetation. They are 8-10 inches long and maybe 2.5 inches wide. They look like a string of stacked translucent white disks. Hard to get a picture through the water. What are they?
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Can you send me a PM with the name of the lake? My boss was curious. I had asked my boss about it as he has more warmwater fish experience that I. I did not say what anybody thought it was. His thoughts were it might be a freshwater bryozoan. After he gave his answer, I then said that it was suggested to be yellow perch skein. He thought that was feasible and this could be the right time of year for yellow perch to be spawning. The more he looks at it, the more he thinks it's from yellow perch.