Strange Fish

[emanuel]

Caught a couple strange looking little fish off the pier on Tybee tonight. It's not the first time I've caught them, but now it's driving me nuts. They have two white long whiskers and have a little black tapered tail, total length is about 6 inches. Looks like a cross between a cobia and a cod or hake. Very strange, any ideas? :confused:

[Kozlow]

http://www.thejump.net/id/id.htm
Here is a strange Fish link emanuel dont know if it is there ot not.

T<---->---<>Kozlow

[emanuel]

Already tried that link and no luck. I have found a freshwater fish that resembles it called a "burbot".
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/angling/game_fish/burbot.phtml
http://www.gen.umn.edu/faculty_staff/hatch/fishes/burbot.html

However, this is a freshwater fish, not something that would be swimming about in the briny deep. I am puzzled, perhaps I should find a camera to take a picture, but I have the feeling that I wouldn't catch another if I had the camera with me. :rolleyes:

[fishnkid]

Hmmm well if its freshwater probably came out of the river but my guess is maybe a baby of something.

[sharkbite]

baby atlantic cod :)

Atlantic Cod (http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=128)

Tight Lines!


Tim

[emanuel]

Atlantic cod? This far south? The picture looks like what I caught, but not completely. Any pictures of a baby cod?
:confused:

[sharkbite]

here's the closest picture I could find, but not exactly sure what the size of these fish are.

http://www.fisherycrisis.com/images/starvingcod.jpg

as for catching them that far south. I wouldn't see why not. I've caught a lot of small ones out of the Indian River Inlet in late spring. temperature range is 0 - 20°C

but i think for a true identification you should email fishbase Fish Base (http://www.fishbase.org/search.html) and they should be able to give you a definate answer :)


Hope this helped


Tight Lines!


Tim

[Duke of Fluke]

What youy caught was most likely a ling aka red hake. They are related to cod, but are not the same thing. They taste great and make good tuna bait.

[Duke of Fluke]

http://omp.gso.uri.edu/doee/biota/fish/redhake.htm

[emanuel]

Ok, I am going with red hake on this one. So you think they venture this far south in the 50-60 degree water? Every time I have caught them the water has been <60. This includes Va Beach (May 6, 2001) and Tybee Island, GA (March 19, 2003).

[Duke of Fluke]

Ling prefer cool water, but I have caught them in the Delaware bay in mid Summer, and they are often caught on the tuna grounds in extremely warm water. They are common as far south as MD and I am sure a few are found down your way too.

[sharkbite]

I think i got a good picture of the same fish you are reffering to :) as soon as i find a website to put it on i'll post it.
http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/2033673.jpg

[emanuel]

Yup that's it. :)

[sharkbite]

I sent the pictrues in they are trying to identify the fish and will get back to me :) should know in a few days :)

[emanuel]

<in best Montgomery Burns voice> "Eeeeexcellent"

[Manayunk Jake]

Greetings All!

Spotted Hake?
http://octopus.gma.org/fogm/Urophycis_regius.htm

Nevermind the crude drawing, read the description.

[Sherri]

:cool: I work at OCP on Oak Island,NC and we've been catching those ugly little "slicks" for a couple of weeks now. Two of my fishermen made a special trip to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher to seek the identity of the critter. The biologist at the aquarium identified it as a SOUTHERN HAKE, a member of the Cod family and showed them pictures to confirm it. Mystery solved !!!

[sharkbite]

Thanks for the info Sherri!! :) Think i'll be old and grey by the time i get a response from fishbase.

They gettin any blues down that way yet?


Tight Lines

Tim

[Bait Caster]

I caught quite a few of them little critters over the weekend. They are quite the ugly little slimy bait stealing waste of time arent they. dang things kept stealing my shrimps.