Catch Of The Day In Gowanus Canal: Man Claims He Hooked Three-Eyed Fish

Update on November 10, 2:25pm: It may not come as a surprise to you that Queens College biology professor John Waldman believes the three-eyed fish is in fact an urban-nautical myth. The New York Times reports John Waldman wrote that “Everything is wrong here […] You’d never find a freshwater bullhead in the saltwater Gowanus Canal. As I said, to find it there is just too perfect. Plus the fish appears dead. Catfish live for hours out of the water. And the ‘acting’ seems forced.” So not only is Waldman critical of the hoax, he also is suspicious of the weak video acting.

Has the pizza rat run its course already?

Not to worry, we have a fine replacement that our neighborhood can call its very own — the Gowanus Canal three-eyed fish.

According to Gothamist, a man caught this mini sea monster fishing in the Gowanus Canal. And yes, one of the major unanswered questions we’re trying to figure out is the logic of fishing in the Gowanus Canal in the first place.

Three-Eyed Fish by Gothamist

A tipster who witnessed the scene told Gothamist that a “bunch of people were crowding this dude fishing near Whole Foods on Gowanus. He caught a 3 eyed cat fish. Some lady was flipping out cause he whacked it dead and she said they were trying to preserve the remaining wildlife there or something. It was a crazy scene. He said he was gonna eat it! Crazy.”

Now don’t be shy if you’re a Simpsons fan, because the Blinky jokes are already circulating.

Gothamist reminds us that this isn’t the first claim of a three-eyed fish being caught. Argentina has its very own, as does the Great Lakes.

Last month, swimmer-activist Christopher Swain took a dip in the Gowanus. At this point, Swain possesses only two eyes.