Hoping for an ID.

[Pale Morning1]

While relaxing at the end of a Long Beach day sipping a beer my 11 year old son comes running in with a bucket of fish he caught. I want to get them back into the ocean but they really are cool looking little guys. Pictures are not the best but all I can do. They were collected on Virginia Beach.
Can anyone ID these?

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Like you say, give them back to ocean...

 

[Pale Morning1]

They are already headed back. Would still like to know what they are.

 

[bnord]

I think they are darlin’ lil buggers, not sure of the genus/species

almost as cute as…

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Pests, disease carriers, looks like a snail but covered in black goo/ algae so no positive i.d., maybe a limpet or baby turtle, carrying anything that you can not see.
the fish is in a bucket... better pics will help but definitely not something to introduce.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I think they are darlin’ lil buggers, not sure of the genus/species

almost as cute as…

Once had a splinter that big...

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Once had a splinter that big...

Deffenitly a different species.....

 

[Pale Morning1]

I am on vacation, 8 hours and 4 days from my tank. Not even considering introducing them.

 

[bnord]

Once had a splinter that big...

wow.... cactus?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

While relaxing at the end of a Long Beach day sipping a beer my 11 year old son comes running in with a bucket of fish he caught. I want to get them back into the ocean but they really are cool looking little guys. Pictures are not the best but all I can do. They were collected on Virginia Beach.
Can anyone ID these?

Those are baby spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) . They can grow to almost three feet long (grin). Back in the mid-1980's I had some spawn at a public aquarium I worked at, but couldn't raise the fry. They are being raised by public aquarium pretty regularly now ( one of the North Carolina Aquariums).

Jay

 

[i cant think]

While relaxing at the end of a Long Beach day sipping a beer my 11 year old son comes running in with a bucket of fish he caught. I want to get them back into the ocean but they really are cool looking little guys. Pictures are not the best but all I can do. They were collected on Virginia Beach.
Can anyone ID these?

They look to be juvenile spade/batfish of some sort.

 

[Pale Morning1]

Thanks guys I appreciate the information.