# Wanted: Exotic gulf fish photos for Rik's 2011 book



## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

I have received many photos from 2coolers that will appear in Rik's 2011 book. If you caught any exotic species, please send me the photos. Last year, we had some eels, longtail bass, most of the uncommon snapper species and some nice rare grouper photos (black and misty).

Send them to [email protected] in their original file size.

My spotted moray eel and Jimmy's (Hog) Stout Beardfish are attached as examples.

Mike


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## RSN (Jul 5, 2010)

beardfish and scorpionfish


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## Fandango (Aug 1, 2008)

*Fishing Pictures*

Not sure how exotic these are...


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## cobia 254 cc (Jun 10, 2006)

2nd to last pic may be the fatest warsaw I have seen. Even his tail looks small.


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## Boboe (Feb 11, 2009)

That spearfish is pretty rare around here.


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## REELING 65 (Aug 18, 2009)

Boboe said:


> That spearfish is pretty rare around here.


X2..looks like a nice day of fishing though.


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## bailout2860 (Jan 23, 2009)

*pics!*

:fish:
and fandango, where'd ya get that gaff in the first pic?

Justin H!


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## Sweet Baby Cletus (Jan 18, 2010)

Common Octopus_ Octopus vulgaris_


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## SSN (Jul 8, 2010)

bailout2860 said:


> :fish:
> and fandango, where'd ya get that gaff in the first pic?


x2, that thing is cool, i want one


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## wildbill (Aug 11, 2005)

How about a "shoulda-been" state record tilefish? This pig went 31.5 pounds. Little did we know it would have been a record until after it was cleaned....


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*More photos*

I am also looking for the following photos caught in the Texas gulf this year:

1. Eels
2. Tropical fish (this year we have a Queen Trigger)
3. Black grouper
4. Rainbow runner
5. Barracuda
6. Unicorn filefish
7. Others?

Mike


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## James Howell (May 21, 2004)

Get Captn C to repost his pic of a spanish hogfish.


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## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

James Howell said:


> Get Captn C to repost his pic of a spanish hogfish.


Let me know if you want it...I think they have it from last year though...


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## Steelheaddoc (Jun 8, 2009)

Here's a cuda for you --caught on long rod


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## cadjockey (Jul 30, 2009)

Something different from the grouper family perhaps...


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## cobia 254 cc (Jun 10, 2006)

I may have been on the boat that caught the last recorded GAG in Texas. Caught on 11-19-2010.


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## bailout2860 (Jan 23, 2009)

*I have one*



SSN said:


> x2, that thing is cool, i want one


I have one and am wondering where cause I thought I'd be the only one on the coast with one haha

Justin H!


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## Boboe (Feb 11, 2009)

Cadjockey: That looks like a Pacific grouper species. That's not an Atlantic grouper that I recognize. Where'd you catch him?


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## Lagniappe2008 (Jan 20, 2008)

Here's a rainbow runner.


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## Lagniappe2008 (Jan 20, 2008)

*sea horse*

Not sure if this counts, but was pretty exotic to us.


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## Lagniappe2008 (Jan 20, 2008)

*Barracuda*

Barracuda


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

wildbill said:


> How about a "shoulda-been" state record tilefish? This pig went 31.5 pounds. Little did we know it would have been a record until after it was cleaned....


 so how does a woulda shoulda state record tilefish taste ? :work:


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## cadjockey (Jul 30, 2009)

Boboe said:


> Cadjockey: That looks like a Pacific grouper species. That's not an Atlantic grouper that I recognize. Where'd you catch him?


Caught this one on the banks out east of the Flower Gardens. Always called them Tiger Grouper...could be wrong on that though.


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Grouper ID*

The grouper in question is a yellowmouth grouper. It is different than a scamp because it does not have the broom tail.

Mike


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## DRILHER (Apr 4, 2010)

Heres my son with his winning cuda


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

cadjockey said:


> Caught this one on the banks out east of the Flower Gardens. Always called them Tiger Grouper...could be wrong on that though.


I believe there is such thing as a tiger grouper - my buds in the Bahamas get quite a few. That picture doesn't quite look like a tiger, although groupers are tricky.


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## wildbill (Aug 11, 2005)

roundman said:


> so how does a woulda shoulda state record tilefish taste ? :work:


It was delicious. Thanks for asking....


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Additions to Rik's 2011 book*

We now have black grouper, rainbow runner and barracuda covered.

How about a good lane snapper photo, beeliner, unicorn filefish, any species of eel or any other exotic species? Send the photos to [email protected].

Mike



mredman said:


> I am also looking for the following photos caught in the Texas gulf this year:
> 
> 1. Eels
> 2. Tropical fish (this year we have a Queen Trigger)
> ...


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## huntmarlin (Jun 21, 2009)

here u go


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## REHAB (Nov 20, 2006)

*exotic fish*

option


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## Anthony C (Jun 20, 2008)

Rainbow runner


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## luna sea II (Jul 11, 2009)

rainbow runner


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Exotic fish photos*

Keep the exotic fish photos coming! We still need a few more photos of species caught here in the Texas gulf.

Mike


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## Farmer Jim (May 21, 2004)

Not on your list, but here's Jack Moncrief with the biggest Oyster Fish (also called Toad Fish) I've ever seen. It was caught at East Bank off Freeport.


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## TheAnt (Jul 1, 2008)

*Dragon Goby Sargent*

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showpost.php?p=2858393&postcount=1


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## lite-liner (Mar 15, 2005)

*here's one....*

Escolar

Perdido '09

(sorry 'bout the tail)


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## aggie82josh (Mar 16, 2007)

this is what I have:


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*I Think this is a Kingfish Shrimp EEL*

not sure but looked it up and that's the closest i can find. Notice the Crown at his head.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Here's another tiger grouper. We caught 10 in one afternoon, trolling plugs in the Bahamas, in about 12-20 feet of water. They laid into this Mirr-O-Lure....


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

Caught on a rig in 75' of water out of Port A.


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Tropical Fish*

Were these fish "damsels" in distress?

Mike



chad said:


> Caught on a rig in 75' of water out of Port A.


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## Boboe (Feb 11, 2009)

mredman said:


> The grouper in question is a yellowmouth grouper. It is different than a scamp because it does not have the broom tail.
> 
> Mike


That's not a yellowmouth. Yellowmouth grouper don't have those vertical bars on them. I've caught loads of yellowmouth as well as scamps and I'm very familiar with the difference in the species.

I don't have my Peterson's book with me right now, but tiger grouper is much more likely, as they're a Caribbean fish and the Flower Gardens are known to have many fish that aren't otherwise local to the northern Gulf.


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Fish ID*

Boboe,

Upon closer inspection, I believe the fish in question is a Tiger Grouper. I have never seen one with this color phase and with the elongated dorsal fin. However, the diagonal stripes indicate the Tiger Grouper may be the best choice (unless it is a new species never recorded). I concur the fish is definitely not a scamp. I have caught numerous scamp also.

Thanks for the input.

Mike



Boboe said:


> That's not a yellowmouth. Yellowmouth grouper don't have those vertical bars on them. I've caught loads of yellowmouth as well as scamps and I'm very familiar with the difference in the species.
> 
> I don't have my Peterson's book with me right now, but tiger grouper is much more likely, as they're a Caribbean fish and the Flower Gardens are known to have many fish that aren't otherwise local to the northern Gulf.


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

mredman said:


> Were these fish "damsels" in distress?
> 
> Mike


I don't know. That's how they looked when I caught them. About 3 or 4 weeks after I caught them they all started to look that way. I originally had 8 and still have 6 living 1.5 years later. Other than their color they appear healthy. Do you know anything about them?


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Damselfish*

Damsels are among the hardiest of saltwater fish. The gulf is blessed to have some very colorful damselfish but some of the species, including the ones you have in your possession, progress into a drab coloring upon maturity. The change of coloring is not related to water quality or lighting.

The fish you caught are in the Pomacentridae family and Stegastes genus. The maximum size is four inches. The species you caught are most likely called the Cocoa Damselfish. They are different than a similar species, the Beaugregory because the Cocoa has a spot on the base of the caudal (tail) fin, where it is absent in the Beaugregory.

These fish will eat flake food, pellets, frozen or live baby brine shrimp, cut up clams/fish and more. Upon maturity, the males will get aggressive and very territorial. They will eat coral polyps so they are not safe in a reef tank.

Frequent water changes are necessary because saltwater fish are very sensitive to ammonia or its metabolites, nitrites and to a lesser extent, nitrates.

Mike


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## banjopicker (Oct 30, 2006)

Eel & Scorpian Fish


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## StarlinMarlin (Aug 3, 2004)

Here are a few:
1.) Marbled Grouper
2.) Tiger Grouper
3.) Sand Tile Fish
4.) Glass Eye Snapper
5.) Squirl Fsh
6.) Silky Snapper


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## StarlinMarlin (Aug 3, 2004)

6 More:
1.) Yellow Mouth Grouper
2.) Scamp (Broom Tail) Grouper
3.) Black Grouper
4.) Yellow Fin Grouper
5.) Warsaw Grouper
6.) Long Tail Bass


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## James Howell (May 21, 2004)

Sorry, Starlin- you're black is a gag. Cool yellowfin in spawning colors though.


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## luna sea II (Jul 11, 2009)

James Howell said:


> Sorry, Starlin- you're black is a gag. Cool yellowfin in spawning colors though.


also the glass eye snapper is actually a bigeye and not a member of the snapper family. great pictures though.


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## flymost (Nov 6, 2006)

Wow, Rik's book is going to be able to double as a fish ID book this year!!! Anyone got some good pics of some snowy grouper? I need to add them and the misty to our catch this year.


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## Boboe (Feb 11, 2009)

StarlinMarlin: What those two guys said up there. Also, while large scamps are some times referred to as "broom tails," the broomtail grouper is a different species and is found in the Pacific.


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Expanded species in Rik's Book*

Rob,

In addition to more than 100 new waypoints in the 2011 book, the species identification part will be much bigger. Some new state records will also be featured. I believe the number of photos may be double compared to 2010. Rob, both you and Nan will be featured in the book again due to your consistent success catching many species of fish, especially grouper.



flymost said:


> Wow, Rik's book is going to be able to double as a fish ID book this year!!! Anyone got some good pics of some snowy grouper? I need to add them and the misty to our catch this year.


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