I need help in ident. of a fish which my buddy cought Sat. IT was the first time I ever saw one like it. It was about 15" grayish on top offwhite underneith. It had a face simelar to a boston terriorsort of square the eyes were on toplike some sort of a lookup. The teeeth were triangler & there were a lot of them. I thought a wolf fish but unless there is big change in the coloration to adult it is different. I have been fiishing on LI since 58 & have never seen another like it. We through it back (boat owner only allows 1 ughl thing on his boat at a time & I refused to get out) Any help greatly app.It was cought bottom of swift creek near the Meadowbrook bridge. thanks DeLux
Ugly fish
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Perhaps a northern stargazer. Check out this site:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/StarGazerNorth/StarGazeNorth.htm
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/StarGazerNorth/StarGazeNorth.htm
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955 Posts
Sounds like a Northern Stargazer allright. I've seen maybe 6 total in my life and they are SCARY looking. Someone once told me they carry an electric current like the electric eel. Since then I use a rag or hook disgorger when setting them free. Usually catch them in south shore bays when fluke fishing.
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32,144 Posts
Oyster Toad Fish - caught one in the Nissequogue River 2 years ago.
Sort of looks like a prehistoric tadpole. Triangualer body - dorsal fin the runs the lenght of the body. Face kind of like a sea robin.
don't know how to post it here - but - go to google.com
Enter the following into the search oystertoadfish - exactly like that. Open the first file. There's 2 pictures there of the oyster toad fish.
Let me know if that's what you got.
Sort of looks like a prehistoric tadpole. Triangualer body - dorsal fin the runs the lenght of the body. Face kind of like a sea robin.
don't know how to post it here - but - go to google.com
Enter the following into the search oystertoadfish - exactly like that. Open the first file. There's 2 pictures there of the oyster toad fish.
Let me know if that's what you got.
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48 Posts
I think it was an Oyster Toad Fish, I was surf fishing dead low water in Cold Spring Harbor a few year back and caught one while it was on the ground I tried to get it back in the water, prodding with the rod but this God awful fish proceeds to chew the Rod Butt. To this day I still have nightmares!
Tight Lines & a Little Drag
NORTHFORK WILLY
Tight Lines & a Little Drag
NORTHFORK WILLY
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48 Posts
I think it was an Oyster Toad Fish, I was surf fishing dead low water in Cold Spring Harbor a few year back and caught one while it was on the ground I tried to get it back in the water, prodding with the rod but this God awful fish proceeds to chew the Rod Butt. To this day I still have nightmares!
Tight Lines & a Little Drag
NORTHFORK WILLY
Tight Lines & a Little Drag
NORTHFORK WILLY
Oyster Toad Fish
Wader is correct, the way you described it, you caught an oyster toad fish. The stargazer has the striped tail and the countless spots (which you did not put in your description).
I am surprised that you never caught one before. Believe it or not, they are one of the most hardy species around Long Island. They can be found around almost any dock or bridge. There is an ocean variation that we catch while wreck fishing. It is more colorful and has softer skin. The bay variation is a common & unwanted by-catch of those who use crab traps from local town docks.
Wader is correct, the way you described it, you caught an oyster toad fish. The stargazer has the striped tail and the countless spots (which you did not put in your description).
I am surprised that you never caught one before. Believe it or not, they are one of the most hardy species around Long Island. They can be found around almost any dock or bridge. There is an ocean variation that we catch while wreck fishing. It is more colorful and has softer skin. The bay variation is a common & unwanted by-catch of those who use crab traps from local town docks.
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955 Posts
The fish was a Northren Stargazer. Toad Fish are not gray on top and white on the bottom. The are more yellow/brown. This guy has been fishing Long Island waters since 1958, says he. I would think he would know what a Toad Fish looked like since they are very plentiful.
Thanks guys
Thanks for the info. I did know what a Toadfish looked like. I went on a head boat today out of Captree (tried The Noel Ellen but it was not sailing yet, should have called)on the Capt Rod 2 northern stargaizeers were cought. Now I have seen 3. Thanks DeLux
Thanks for the info. I did know what a Toadfish looked like. I went on a head boat today out of Captree (tried The Noel Ellen but it was not sailing yet, should have called)on the Capt Rod 2 northern stargaizeers were cought. Now I have seen 3. Thanks DeLux
FOUND PICTURES OF BOTH HACKLEHEAD/TOADFISH/OYSTERFISH (VARIOUS NAMES FOR SAME SPECIES - DIFFERENT LOCALES) and STARGAZER (NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN)
HOPE THE PICTURES COPY TO THIS POST
Oysterfish
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Stargazer
HOPE THE PICTURES COPY TO THIS POST
Oysterfish
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Stargazer
OOPS!
SEE THE PICTURES DIDN'T POST
HERE'S THE SITE IF YOUR INTERESTED
www.bertaut.com/realfish4.html
SEE THE PICTURES DIDN'T POST
HERE'S THE SITE IF YOUR INTERESTED
www.bertaut.com/realfish4.html
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