# Ocean fish identification



## Nogueras (Jul 5, 2012)

About 20 years ago I hauled up a strange (to me) fish off the SW Atlantic coast of the UK.
It was not big, no more than 30 - 35 cm diameter and oval in shape, weighing about 5 pounds. My hook had snagged in its 'ear' which was its gills, presumably, but small and thick just like an ear. Its mouth was also thick-lipped.
The most striking feature was that it was hard, as if the body of the fish was inside a shell, roughly the shape of a plaice, say 10cm thick.
But another surprising feature, apart from the hard shell, was its caudal fin, fashioned like an aeroplane aileron, a straight, parallel, door-hinge-like structure. It had small dorsal and pelvic fins, nothing else. 
It was smooth skinned, without scales and brownish, its eyes normal, not like a flatfish.
The nearest fish I have been able to compare it with is a small sunfish - but it doesn't explain the hard outer shell.
I released it of course. I would be pleased to hear readers suggestions.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Any pictures of the fish? It's hard to identifie without pics, I'm a pretty big fisher as well and I have caught all types of weird looking hybred fish. I once pulled in a northern pile/Muskie looking fish. I have some pictures somewhere of it but that was the oddest looking fish iv got thus far. Thing bit me 3 times in both hands no idea how but it happend so fast. In my picture you can see both my hands full of blood from its teeth ripping my skin. I kept it froze it and gave it to the DNR for data. That's always really the best thing to do when you run into fish like that so they can identify what's happening in the waters. Turned out I was the 3rd person to pull one of the hybrids out of the Milwaukee river but I pulled mine out a lot further up then the others that were spotted. Just shows how critical data can be.


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## Nogueras (Jul 5, 2012)

*Fish identification*

Thanks for reply Cory1990. Hopefully you'll find an attached sketch of the fish. Superficially it does resemble a sunfish, but I don't think it is. How it moves I don't know with those small fins, unless it uses its 'rudder'.
The sketch is from memory and small details may be slightly different, such as exact eye position, etc. But its hollow sound when knocked, thick small 'ears', fat lips, rudder-like caudel and just two tiny fins are difficult to forget.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

The photo didn't come threw try using www.photobucket.com and then post the link. I had the same trouble posting pictures when I first started here.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Sounds like a Trunkfish to me.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

I wouldn't say a trunkfish looks close to a sunfish


Ocean sunfish
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....0j12j7j1j1.22.0...0.0.HFEpXVFX3CM&mvs=0#i=17


Then these bad boys that taste soo good 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....1067.0j3j1j1.5.0...0.0.eNNlAv56Ze8&mvs=0#i=5


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