What Is This?

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

Can anyone identify what type of fish this is? Someone has told me a scorpion fish, but the wing-like fins on the back are don't seem to fit.

I took the picture two weeks ago in the Intercostal underneath the Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach.

Thanks

Marc

 

[chrispete]

Looks like a flying gunard - saw one of these on the surface of the gulf of mexico Sunday...

 

[ScubaCRNA]

I saw your fish at this website. It is a flying gunard.

http://www.wildlifewebsite.com/sea/flying-gunard-16.html

 

[Rick Murchison]

And the flying gurnard is a first cousin. But this fellow is almost certainly Prionotus roseus, the bluespotted sea robin.
Rick

 

[chrispete]

Ah, first cousin was close I think I can see it after finding a picture of the searobin, the pectoral fins on the gunard open at almost a 90 degree angle, the searobin has a much smaller spread...

I'm just starting to learn identification, is this analysis on the right track?

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

I haven't found a "good" picture of a sea robin yet, but this picture of a flying gunard does certainly look very close to what I got, particularly the blue on the "wings", though they are smaller. And the fins seem to be attached to the back of the gunard, as opposed to being further down on the sea robin?

I guess this means I need to sign up for PADI's Fish Identification Adventure.

Marc

 

[Rick Murchison]

This one's a good training fish. The generalized shape says "Gurnard," and so that's the first impression. But... look at the head - see the little pointies above the eyes? Now look at the Gurnard picture. See the smoother head? Back to the original, look at the coloring on the body - now look at the gurnard... not even close, right? Look at the dorsal fins... see the differences? And the real kicker, the sea robin's anterior rays of the pectoral fins are separated into individual rays, while the gurnard's are not. If you look closely at the first picture you can see the separated rays on the sea robin.
Rick

 

[techdiver2us]

Yep, it's a Flying Gurnard.

 

[Rick Murchison]

techdiver2us once bubbled...
Yep, it's a Flying Gurnard.

Don't think so... read previous posts.
Rick

 

[Walter]

Actually the photo is not clear enough for a positive ID. I tend to agree with the folks who think it's a Flying Gunard. The Sea Robin's pectoral fins are not as large and the bright blue is noty present on the fin tips of the Sea Robin. I see lots of Sea Robins while diving for fossils off Venice Beach. The cool thing about Sea Robins is they use their pectoral fins as legs to walk along the bottom. As Rick mentions, "the sea robin's anterior rays of the pectoral fins are separated into individual rays" Each of those rays looks and acts like a lobster leg.