Mystery fish

[Babygecko1233]

I don't know if you can tell by the pictures. But this fish changes colors...from dark browns and blacks to whites and tans...with specs of black..
Its swimming pattern is unique.
In my opinion it acts like a leaf...or a floating piece of drift wood...where it waits for my Sargent majors to roam closer...once one does..its over..the mystery fish devours the Sargent ....the fish reminds me of a fresh water Oscar fish... Does anyone know?

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Some type of grouper? Based on rounded fins and ambush predation?

 

[Babygecko1233]

That's what I was thinking. But WHAT kind...its so hard to find out...because it's a baby.. So ... Idk...I've searched high and low trying to find it -_- I wish to keep it... But not if its some crazy protected fish...I got it off Craigslist with a small tank I bought

 

[Babygecko1233]

He or she is a really cool fish. It has adopted the name haus. If it is a grouper that I'm allowed to have. I would like to set it up a huge tank with its habitat simulated to the fullest. Big personilty to

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Looking around there are multiple groupers available for sale but none that seem to have that same pattern.

Chocolate grouper does indicate color changes so that is consistent with your description - but it has bands where as yours doesn't seem to.

How big is your tank?

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

He or she is a really cool fish. It has adopted the name haus. If it is a grouper that I'm allowed to have. I would like to set it up a huge tank with its habitat simulated to the fullest. Big personilty to

Very cool I agree - but need a big house and lots of food!

 

[Babygecko1233]

I looked up chocolate grouper..and it strayed off to other groupers. I found one in particular that looks almost identical. IG.... A Malabar grouper..maybe?

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

That fish is a monster, it would surprise me if it made it into a tank in the states.

-- I did come across another that has similar fins and coloring - at least in a few pictures. Bumble Bee grouper -- many of these have yellow on the caudal fin -- perhaps yours is just very young and not colored up or has 'plain' markings.

No chance of finding the guy or the LFS where it might have come from? My bet is on an aquarium grouper that will be big but not massive. Here is an interesting read if you haven't seen it already.

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/groupers-in-the-home-aquarium-full-article.htm

 

[Shadowbass]

Triple tail fish. Looks exactly like it.

 

[Shadowbass]

Lobotes sp

 

[Lasse]

Are you able to find it here

http://www.fishbase.se/identification/SpeciesList.php?genus=Epinephelus

or here

http://www.fishbase.se/identification/specieslist.php?famcode=289&areacode=&spines=&fins=

Sincerely Lasse

 

[iemsparticus]

Triple tail fish. Looks exactly like it.

I think you’re right... in which case the fish gets up to 3’ long. That’s a big sucker.

 

[Shadowbass]

I remember seeing it in the audubon guide to fish of north America. Good book to have if you collect your own fish which i can only assume is the case since both the tripletail and sergeant major inhabitant american oceans with the majors being abundant.

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Triple tail fish. Looks exactly like it.

@Shadowbass
I think you have cracked it! Awesome job. I found the following especially confirming since OP and pictures show it floating on its side. Very cool -- Very big! Also, found a new resource for ID. Cheers!

Biology Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)
Adult inhabits bays (Ref. 37816), muddy estuaries and lower reaches of large rivers (Ref. 48636). A sluggish offshore fish that often floats on its side near the surface in the company of floating objects. Occasionally drifts over reefs (Ref. 9710, 44187). Juvenile may occur in floating Sargassum and mimic a floating leaf (Ref. 37816). Feeds on benthic crustaceans and small fish (Ref. 30573, 44187).

 

[Babygecko1233]

You guys are correct. Thank you sooo much. I'm not sure what to do with this fella. All up to my husband now. Most likely he will set up a species specific 100+ gallon for it..

 

[Shadowbass]

You guys are correct. Thank you sooo much. I'm not sure what to do with this fella. All up to my husband now. Most likely he will set up a species specific 100+ gallon for it..

Kind of curious, so is this a brackish tank? I saw the plant in the pic and couldnt tell if it was pothos or anubias

 

[Babygecko1233]

No. Not brackish. The plants are sea grape seedlings.. They thrive under the light of the tank. better then in fresh water with sunlight.. Its strange.. I'm not actually entirely sure if I could consider this tank brackish..if we need to do a water change. We simply brig a 5 gallon bucket to the beach. Scoop some clean water and top off the tank...kept tanks alive for years doing this...something about the live bacteria in the water and sand I guess. and the baby sand fleas make a great snack for any fish

 

[Babygecko1233]

I have found an article on keeping them as an aquarium pet.. And I'm actually stoked. If he gets too big for us..we have someone with a huge 1500 g arch tank that will tank him..since their panther grouper recently passed

 

[Shadowbass]

Nice! Had alot of sea grapes when i went to cozumel mexico

 

[cracker]

Looks Like a" Triple Tail" to me ! Young ones will match their surrounding very very well.