# can't find indentity for weird fish online



## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

Hi i'm new here. Like a week ago my friend and I were fishing in a lake and this weird fish got caught in his net.
it dwells in the bottom of his pond. Its all black and its skin is pretty hard especially the middle part. Its like its layerd with hard armour skin. oh and its missing an eye. I've tried searching online for it but didn't find anything thing. so anynody know?


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## herefishy (Dec 14, 2006)

Looks like a monster plecostomus to me. Big, ugly and worth a little pride. Nice fish. Definitely a keeper in my book.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Welcome to the forum.:wave:

Monster pleco indeed!:shock: I prized beauties like that.:checkedout:


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## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

Cool thanks for the id guys and thanks for the welcome


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## lioness501 (Jan 9, 2007)

wat an awesome pleco! stunning


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## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

hey guys I also caught a small eel-tailed cat fish and put it in my fish tank. But i read on the link below that they have strong poisenous fins which worries me when I stick my hand in my fish tank. Its nocturnal since it only comes out of hiding at night. Man my lake is full of different fishes. 
http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/2171.html

below is a bass we caught in the lake
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i'll post some pics of the eel-tailed catfish as soon as it comes out from hiding


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## Gump (Oct 26, 2006)

That is not a bass my friend. Looks like a Cichlasoma managuense.


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## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

I looked up the name you gave me and it turns out you were right Gump, thanks. You guys are good  I'm still waiting waiting for the other mystery fish I spoke off to come out from hiding so i can take a picture of it.


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

Excellent Plecostomus specimen you have there.


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## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

I finally got a picture of the mysterious nocturnal fish fish I caught at the lake. My guess "eel tale catfish"


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## SimplySplendid (Aug 1, 2006)

That is one bad-looking fish. :demented: If I were you I'd put it back in the lake.

Nice pleco, though.


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## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

thanks for the pleco comment guys.
lol at the last comment :lol:


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## The-Wolf (Mar 15, 2007)

joelfish said:


> I finally got a picture of the mysterious nocturnal fish fish I caught at the lake. My guess "eel tale catfish"


that is a flathead eelcatfish _Gymnallabes typus_
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=129


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## joelfish (May 30, 2007)

thanks alot Wolf :thankyou: I finally know whats creeping in my tank.


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## fish_4_all (Nov 13, 2006)

That is an awesome pleco, second biggest one I have seen. You did out it back in the pond didn't you? :shock:


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

SimplySplendid said:


> If I were you I'd put it back in the lake.


We can't release the fish once it has been kept under captive conditions. Too many risks are present which can seriously endanger the lives of the feral population.

Joel, where are you located? I heard Florida has several aquarium fish already invading the lakes and other water systems.


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## Gump (Oct 26, 2006)

Lupin said:


> SimplySplendid said:
> 
> 
> > If I were you I'd put it back in the lake.
> ...


Its very cut and dry and not good for this hobby. never put an aquarium fish in any local body of water.


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## fish_4_all (Nov 13, 2006)

Just a comment or more of a question I guess about releasing the fish. Wouln't it be ok to release the fish in a private pond because it sounds like all the fish that are in there are from the hobby and it also sounds like it might be a private, "contained" pond? If it is I would think it would be fine to release the fish into the pond.

I will agree however that a fish kept in an aquarium should NEVER be released into a natural non-contained waterway or even one that might flood and allow the fish to escape into an adjacent river, stream, pond or any other body of water.


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## bf2king (Aug 3, 2007)

As far as i know we have clown knifes, plecos, pacu, lion fish........

in florida


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## bf2king (Aug 3, 2007)

i forgot lots and lots of oscars


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

bf2king said:


> As far as i know we have clown knifes, plecos, pacu, *lion fish*........
> 
> in florida


Lionfish are marine unless I mistook this for another fish living in waterways with lower salinity than the intended marine conditions.:?


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## bf2king (Aug 3, 2007)

no i meant they are not native to waters off of florida. Yet off the west coast an invasive population is continually growing.


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## fry1goat (Aug 3, 2007)

That appears to be a sturgeon


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## bf2king (Aug 3, 2007)

if you live up in the panhandle and by the swanne there are gulf coast sturgen that can get to 9ft and 200 + pounds.


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## fish_4_all (Nov 13, 2006)

White Sturgeon

While they are both ugly cusses, not a sturgeon. I do think that I would eat either one if they were big enough though. I wonder just how big a common pleco can get in the wild. [/url]


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Common plecs have invaded some of our waterways here.:roll: The largest caught so far was 16 inches. A lot of fishermen here have complained that their nets ended up torn by the massive load of common plecs caught.:shock: They caught only a small number of native fish for food, thanks to the plec invasion.:shake: They don't have natural predators here unfortunately.


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## bf2king (Aug 3, 2007)

where i live we got gators and gar so they are covered.


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