Lake Creature With 'Legs' Stumps Central Floridians

local6 ^ | July 28, 2008

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OCOEE, Fla. -- A fish-like creature with "legs" caught in a Central Florida lake over the weekend sparked a flood of e-mails after photos of it were aired on Local 6.

Shawna Mitchell said she was fishing on Starke Lake in Ocoee when she pulled something strange out of the water.

Mitchell's photos showed what appeared to be a fish with two front legs and no scales.

She said she was "freaked out a little bit" after pulling the creature to a pier.

After Local 6 News aired the photos, viewers sent e-mails to Local6.com Sunday night suggesting it was a mud puppy, eel, lung fish or Chinese walking fish.

However, Local 6 has learned that the "fish" is apparently a greater siren.

It's an amphibian that is a member of the salamander family. It is described as being very reclusive.

Mitchell said, "It was a great night of fishing that I won't forget any time soon," in an e-mail.

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Shawna Mitchell said she was "freaked out a little bit" after pulling the creature to a pier.

[SolidWood]

[jwparkerjr]

Monster tadpole?

[Sacajaweau]

How big is the thing?? 4 inches or 6 feet long??

[eastforker]

And Bass and catfish love em. That big ol plastic worm fishermen use actually replicates these animals, only the smaller version.

[KeepUSfree]

Awesomely cool animals. I hope she didn’t kill it.

[Abathar]

Darwin would like this conundrum I think....

[JBR34]

It looks more like a politician to me.

[BenLurkin]

[Bob Buchholz]

Stories of Florida’s walking catfish have been around for years. I remember sitting on the couch with my mother, watching the old black & white news story and asking my mother what we were going to do if they made it to Oklahoma. She looked at me kind of puzzled then said ‘I guess we’d have to shoot the bastards’. I think this was only the first or second time I had ever heard my mother curse.

[andy58-in-nh]

It looks more like a politician to me.

Hmm... a scum-sucking bottom feeder with two legs and no apparent backbone or sex organs. You might be right.

[Salamander]

Barbarians!!!!!

[eastforker]

Many years ago we had a ditch not far from the house that stayed full of water except one year we had a severe dry spell. As the ditchstarted to dry up my boys was digging around in the mud and found one of these guys. Did some research on it back then, found out they are quite plentiful but rarely seen. Had an old fisherman tell me that yes they make excelent bait and stay alive on the hook for a long time.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I hope she didn’t kill it.

Me too. It's disturbing that the article didn't address that, as if it's irrelevant.

[Red Badger]

[fleagle]

[mnehring]

I don’t know why they are confused, it is a Lungfish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lungfish

In addition to the little legs, it also has lungs.

[Little Ray]

Its a big salamander or a newt. No big deal. Except that it might be endangered - they they have problem.

[mad puppy]

Probably tastes like chicken

[VeniVidiVici]

Now THAT was funny!

[BenLurkin]

I was wondering if she ate it.

[Salamander]

Since it’s completely aquatic, has gills, can only breathe underwater and is shown laying sideways on concrete with a hook and fishing line hanging out of its mouth, I’d venture to say that it did not survive the encounter.

:(

[Salamander]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Siren

[eastforker]

It said Florida not Louisiana.LOL

[skinkinthegrass]

*eyes tearing* OUCH!

[jwparkerjr]

Hmmmm ....

Looks sorta like the Day 70 illustration, but the limbs are farther forward. Well, whatever made it grow so big could also have relocated some of its appendages.

I wonder how it tastes?

[NavyCanDo]

Not quite a Weeki Wachee Mermaid, now is it? And its too ugly to eat. Throw it back

[DungeonMaster]

Lake Creature With 'Legs' Stumps Central Floridians

This title is just dying for a picture of Obama campaigning in Central Florida.

[Inyo-Mono]

Bttt.

[edzo4]

This title is just dying for a picture of Obama campaigning in Central Florida.

you mean like the creature from the african american lagoon?

[TheBattman]

Nice try - but did you actually look at the pictures? The Siren actually has true feet with toes. Lungfish just have fins- no feet.

[Figment]

we used to call those “mudpuppies”

[stainlessbanner]

Is weekiwachee still around?

[NavyCanDo]

Is weekiwachee still around?

Yep.
http://www.weekiwachee.com/

I was in Florida for 3-years of my Navy Career and never did make it down to see the show. Still kicking myself in the pants for not doing so.

[reagan_fanatic]

[dljordan]

Mudpuppy.

[DungeonMaster]

you mean like the creature from the african american lagoon?

LOL, that's excellent!!!!!

[MaineConservative]

It looks like a walking Catfish. When visiting my parents I’ve seen them.

[brytlea]

It’s amazing that we have creatures that most people have never seen. Very cool!
susie