Help with Florida fish ID

Quarantank · Apr 15, 2020

So we have a newish tank that’s been cycled and home to just some blue legged hermit crabs we picked up in the keys and a couple of starfish that hitchhiked in on the live rock. I live on a canal in SW Florida and the kids and I been catching some juvenile fish since the lockdown happened. I can’t figure out what these guys are at all. They looked like leaves when we brought them in. The bigger on is maybe 3 inches and the smaller 2” both are greenish brown, the dorsal fin is hard to see but it is long and undulating. I was thinking they were some kind of knife fish but I’m not finding anything in the Florida fish pages. Any ideas?

redfishbluefish · Apr 15, 2020

First off, welcome to R2R. #WelcometoR2R

Picture is not the greatest, but my first guess is Toadfish because of the fat head. If it is, handle with care, their skin contains a poison. Let's get some more eyes on this.... #reefsquad

You might also wish to check out taking plants and animals from Florida waters....they are pretty strict on what you can legally remove from the water. @Ron Reefman might be able to help there.

mort · Apr 15, 2020

I'm not really familiar with native florida fish but it looks like a filefish, or at least that would be my guess. I do know the scrawled filefish looks similar at a small size but they grow absolutely monstrous and I'm sure there are a few other native filefish.

AcroNem · Apr 15, 2020

It definitely looks like a file fish. If it's a small scrawled or something like it it will get huge. I would also recommend you quarantine anything you just brought into captivity, there is a very high risk for disease. I'll also echo what was said above about collection laws in Florida, I'd be careful with that if you haven't gone through the proper channels.

Peace River · Apr 15, 2020

I as well am struggling with the picture, but I've done a fair amount of collecting in Florida and my first instinct when I saw the picture was filefish. I agree with the other response above.

If you are unsure of the species, then the common recommendation is to take a picture waterside (either in your hand or in a clear container), release the fish, and then research information about the fish based on the picture. For more information on best practices when collecting you may want to check out the NANFA website and forum (North American Native Fishes Association).

Ron Reefman · Apr 15, 2020

OK, first let me say, "Welcome to Reef2Reef." I sent you a private message as well.

Nice meme created by another R2R member and stolen by me!

I can't ID the fish either. My wife has suggested a rosy razorfish. It has the same kind of light area under and behind the eye. But the razorfish has a distinct dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin.

Questions for you. Where did you catch these? I'm in SW Cape Coral and fairly familiar with the area. Most curious if these were in the Gulf, an estuary or a canal or even a freshwater spot (we have freshwater canals and tiny lakes in Cape Coral)?

As long as you have a Florida Saltwater Fishing License you are ahead of the game. Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission has a web page with all the rules. I'll find a link and add it later.

Quarantank · Apr 15, 2020

AcroNem said:
It definitely looks like a file fish. If it's a small scrawled or something like it it will get huge. I would also recommend you quarantine anything you just brought into captivity, there is a very high risk for disease. I'll also echo what was said above about collection laws in Florida, I'd be careful with that if you haven't gone through the proper channels.

It has the little fin on top of its head like a file fish but the body is shaped something like a clown knife. It looks like an elongated filefish.

Thank you for the concerns on quarantine and all.

Quarantank · Apr 15, 2020

Ron Reefman said:
OK, first let me say, "Welcome to Reef2Reef." I sent you a private message as well.

Nice meme created by another R2R member and stolen by me!

I can't ID the fish either. My wife has suggested a rosy razorfish. It has the same kind of light area under and behind the eye. But the razorfish has a distinct dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin.

Questions for you. Where did you catch these? I'm in SW Cape Coral and fairly familiar with the area. Most curious if these were in the Gulf, an estuary or a canal or even a freshwater spot (we have freshwater canals and tiny lakes in Cape Coral)?

As long as you have a Florida Saltwater Fishing License you are ahead of the game. Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission has a web page with all the rules. I'll find a link and add it later.

yes, we have a license but I would still appreciate the link! Always good to be informed

he’s from a saltwater canal, not too far off the gulf.
The body shape is similar to a razorfish but the head is quite different. He has almost a pig snout look

Reefapprentice · Apr 15, 2020

Looks like a a slender filefish, Monacanthus tuckeri.

Quarantank · Apr 15, 2020

Quarantank said:
It has the little fin on top of its head like a file fish but the body is shaped something like a clown knife. It looks like an elongated filefish.

Thank you for the concerns on quarantine and all.

Ah, I missed the “scrawled” on your answer. Yes, that is really close to what it looks like. It is solid colored, no spots but close enough. We’re newish to Florida so we’ve been working on learning the native and non native species.

Peace River · Apr 15, 2020

Many people think of the planehead filefish when they think of the shape of a traditional file fish. I encourage you to take another look at the scrawled filefish - it is also found in Florida water, is more elongated, and has a more blunt nose/snout. If it is a scrawled filefish, you have a small juvenile because they can grow to be several feet long. You are the one that is there with the fish and able to observe from all angles and see what we can't in the pictures so let us know.

Peace River · Apr 15, 2020

Here is the FWC link that you may find helpful:

Saltwater Fishing

Saltwater

myfwc.com

Ron Reefman · Apr 15, 2020

This is the FWC regs on inverts.

Marine Life

myfwc.com

mort · Apr 15, 2020

Looks like you have more than one of the suspected filefish, which might be problematic in the future.

I just had a quick look at the scrawled filefish to try and find a decent juvinile picture and came across the dottera filefish which is in the same family and also found in floridan waters. It's a decent match from your picture but a better one might help.