The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says, "Our fish identification expert says he's never seen a crappie that orange, but has seen photos of other species such as burbot, bigmouth buffalo, and blacknose dace with comparable coloration. This orangish color comes from an absence of certain dark/silver pigments that lets underlying reddish/orangish pigments come through and dominate the body color rather than an excess of orange pigment. Its somewhat like albinism, but not as complete only certain pigments are missing, not all as in a true albino. Its a recessive mutation, probably only affecting one gene."
