So I caught this weird fish.....

schnell76 · 05/14/2007, 08:30 AM

Thought I would post this on the local club forum to see if someone could ID it. I was fishing over the weekend in the back waters of Spruce Creek in Port Orange on a residential dock and caught something very odd. It was about 10" long and had skin/scales that looked like a flounders coloration. Spots of different colors, all brown though. It resembled a catfish somewhat, but had large spiny side fins (about the size of a softball) that were all webbed together. It also had short (maybe 1/2") spines along its body with an almost exoskeleton for its head (head was very solid feeling). Rest of the body was fleshy though. It croaked when I removed the hook. Caught it on a shrimp in about 3'-4' of water near oyster beds and a dock. The really wierd part is it had 4 (I think) shrimp like legs on its underside on each side (8 total) of it that it used to "walk." From searching via google and FWC it seems to resemble a smooth scorpionfish in this link http://www.deepseaimages.com/dsilibr...php?photo=6600 Only differences were the legs and the side fins were much larger. I took a couple pictures with my camera phone, but they all came out kind of dark. The fish looked like it was stressed as well, so that would explain the darkness to him, since he had more coloration like in the link when I first pulled him up. A neighbor that has lived on Spruce Creek for about 10 years has never seen one out of these waters and thought it resembled an invasive species, but was not 100% sure of that.

So, any ID help would be appreciated. I can email a photo off my phone, but don't know how to post it once I have it off my phone so if someone could help I would appreciate it.

skinnyjoe1976 · 05/14/2007, 10:31 AM

POSSIBLY A FLYING GURNARD

[IMG]

[/IMG]

CAN BE KNOWED TO INHABIT FLORIDA WATERS

schnell76 · 05/14/2007, 11:19 AM

Don't think thats it.

I uploaded a picture of it from my phone into my gallery

Not the best picture since its from my phones camera, but you can still make everything out, including the little legs on the underside

sytanek · 05/14/2007, 11:38 AM

Its a flying gurnard...lol

Those pics are almost identical!

sytanek · 05/14/2007, 11:41 AM

Also known as a Sea Robin

schnell76 · 05/14/2007, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sytanek
Also known as a Sea Robin

Thats it! Thanks!

Freaky looking thing if you ask me!

skinnyjoe1976 · 05/14/2007, 02:03 PM

GOD I'M GOOD. LOL

DaveG99 · 05/14/2007, 03:55 PM

I love trhe Bears!!!

mrferrit · 05/14/2007, 04:26 PM

i used to have one of these in my tank but it was about 3 inches really cool lil fish walking around and flairing its fins and man these things have some big mouths on em. cool fish though.
did you throw him back ?

jay24k · 05/14/2007, 05:02 PM

"It croaked when I removed the hook."

Are they delicate fish?

sytanek · 05/14/2007, 06:37 PM

lol, he didn't mean he died.

they make a "croaking" sound. lol

Samala · 05/15/2007, 10:46 AM

Yep, a sea robin. There is a slight difference between them and gurnards, but the robins are really common in the coastal areas here.

I've never seen one so big! Very cool that you were able to hook one. When we seine seagrass beds we can often find teeny tiny babies about 1" long.

The kids think they're aliens from the ocean abyss - so you're not alone.

>Sarah

jay24k · 05/15/2007, 10:57 AM

Well I meant he made a sound...(just kidding, I thought he meant died)

sytanek · 05/15/2007, 12:49 PM

lol no problem.

pixiegirlie · 05/15/2007, 06:10 PM

it looks like a pretty neat fish-- funny how when I ASKED for an ID everyone ATTACKED me...

...but other people...nothing said...

funny how that works...

but i would have kept him too

chrisstie · 05/16/2007, 08:25 AM

I love this kind of fish. I remember visiting the west coast of florida a year ago in the fall when they had really bad red tide and unfortunately these guys seem very sensative to that. I have pictures of the aftermath of red tide with lots of these guys in them

I was always wanting to see them up close and alive because they seem so neat. I wonder how big they get in the wild if they are healthy?

Very cool

I was fishing in sebastian hoping for something tasty but kept catching puffers. Their teeth reminded me of rabbits and their grunting of pigs. Nature is a cruel mistress sometimes

05/14/2007, 08:30 AM	#1
schnell76 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Central FL Posts: 161	So I caught this weird fish..... Thought I would post this on the local club forum to see if someone could ID it. I was fishing over the weekend in the back waters of Spruce Creek in Port Orange on a residential dock and caught something very odd. It was about 10" long and had skin/scales that looked like a flounders coloration. Spots of different colors, all brown though. It resembled a catfish somewhat, but had large spiny side fins (about the size of a softball) that were all webbed together. It also had short (maybe 1/2") spines along its body with an almost exoskeleton for its head (head was very solid feeling). Rest of the body was fleshy though. It croaked when I removed the hook. Caught it on a shrimp in about 3'-4' of water near oyster beds and a dock. The really wierd part is it had 4 (I think) shrimp like legs on its underside on each side (8 total) of it that it used to "walk." From searching via google and FWC it seems to resemble a smooth scorpionfish in this link http://www.deepseaimages.com/dsilibr...php?photo=6600 Only differences were the legs and the side fins were much larger. I took a couple pictures with my camera phone, but they all came out kind of dark. The fish looked like it was stressed as well, so that would explain the darkness to him, since he had more coloration like in the link when I first pulled him up. A neighbor that has lived on Spruce Creek for about 10 years has never seen one out of these waters and thought it resembled an invasive species, but was not 100% sure of that. So, any ID help would be appreciated. I can email a photo off my phone, but don't know how to post it once I have it off my phone so if someone could help I would appreciate it. __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º> Current Tank Info: 12 gal/dx mixed reef w/ Breeding Pair of Black female Oscellaris & Orange male Oscellaris

05/14/2007, 10:31 AM	#2
skinnyjoe1976 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Titusville, Florida Posts: 1,238	POSSIBLY A FLYING GURNARD [IMG][/IMG] CAN BE KNOWED TO INHABIT FLORIDA WATERS

05/14/2007, 11:19 AM	#3
schnell76 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Central FL Posts: 161	Don't think thats it. I uploaded a picture of it from my phone into my gallery Not the best picture since its from my phones camera, but you can still make everything out, including the little legs on the underside __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º> Current Tank Info: 12 gal/dx mixed reef w/ Breeding Pair of Black female Oscellaris & Orange male Oscellaris

05/14/2007, 11:38 AM	#4
sytanek Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,956	Its a flying gurnard...lol Those pics are almost identical! __________________ I hate sea cucumbers. Current Tank Info: 92g Corner!

05/14/2007, 11:41 AM	#5
sytanek Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,956	Also known as a Sea Robin __________________ I hate sea cucumbers. Current Tank Info: 92g Corner!

05/14/2007, 02:03 PM	#7
skinnyjoe1976 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Titusville, Florida Posts: 1,238	GOD I'M GOOD. LOL

05/14/2007, 03:55 PM	#8
DaveG99 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Forney Texas Posts: 1,597	I love trhe Bears!!!

05/14/2007, 04:26 PM	#9
mrferrit Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: St Petersburg Posts: 2,372	i used to have one of these in my tank but it was about 3 inches really cool lil fish walking around and flairing its fins and man these things have some big mouths on em. cool fish though. did you throw him back ? __________________ Dennis protector and keeper of the wonder dog (RIP) Oreo and the short bus dog puppy and crazy cat Gawain1974: make me want to take a weed wacker to my scrotum. Current Tank Info: Biocube 29

05/14/2007, 05:02 PM	#10
jay24k Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Leesburg, Florida Posts: 6,546	"It croaked when I removed the hook." Are they delicate fish?

05/14/2007, 06:37 PM	#11
sytanek Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,956	lol, he didn't mean he died. they make a "croaking" sound. lol __________________ I hate sea cucumbers. Current Tank Info: 92g Corner!

05/15/2007, 10:46 AM	#12
Samala Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,930	Yep, a sea robin. There is a slight difference between them and gurnards, but the robins are really common in the coastal areas here. I've never seen one so big! Very cool that you were able to hook one. When we seine seagrass beds we can often find teeny tiny babies about 1" long. The kids think they're aliens from the ocean abyss - so you're not alone. >Sarah __________________ "Seaweed is cool, seaweed is fun, it makes its food from the rays of the sun!"

05/15/2007, 10:57 AM	#13
jay24k Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Leesburg, Florida Posts: 6,546	Well I meant he made a sound...(just kidding, I thought he meant died)

05/15/2007, 12:49 PM	#14
sytanek Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,956	lol no problem. __________________ I hate sea cucumbers. Current Tank Info: 92g Corner!

05/15/2007, 06:10 PM	#15
pixiegirlie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: orlando Posts: 313	it looks like a pretty neat fish-- funny how when I ASKED for an ID everyone ATTACKED me... ...but other people...nothing said... funny how that works... but i would have kept him too __________________ "its da CUDAS..." Current Tank Info: 12g nano

05/16/2007, 08:25 AM	#16
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	I love this kind of fish. I remember visiting the west coast of florida a year ago in the fall when they had really bad red tide and unfortunately these guys seem very sensative to that. I have pictures of the aftermath of red tide with lots of these guys in them I was always wanting to see them up close and alive because they seem so neat. I wonder how big they get in the wild if they are healthy? Very cool I was fishing in sebastian hoping for something tasty but kept catching puffers. Their teeth reminded me of rabbits and their grunting of pigs. Nature is a cruel mistress sometimes __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS