A viral photo going around shows a fish with a pig’s or hog’s head, but that’s a hoax.
The photo was obviously Photoshopped, and the original image can be seen on Imgur.
But some blog posts and Facebook postings say that a “new species of fish” was found in either Arkansas or Texas. About a year ago, people started spreading the pig-fish hoax, saying it was found in Arkansas rivers.
Some people on social media said that it was caused by “Monsanto GMO” food.
About.com hoax-debunking writer David Emery wrote in February of last year: “Whether it’s labeled a ‘pigfish,’ a ‘wild hogfish,’ or ‘pig-nose fish,’ the verdict of science remains the same: no such species as the one depicted above exists.”
“There are a few real species known by the common name ‘pigfish,’ but none of them resemble the chimera in the photograph. There’s also a tropical species, Lachnolaimus maximus, commonly called a ‘hogfish,’ but, again, this is not that animal,” he wrote.
He added: “The composite image was created by altering a photo of a perfectly ordinary fish to give it a swine-like snout and ears. Nicely done. I haven’t been able to establish where or when the Photoshopped image originated, but it has been in circulation since February 2013, if not before.”
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