Back from Australia, help identify this fish?

[ogeneo]

Hi All,

Had a fantastic trip in early May aboard the Nimrod. I'll detail it later, but I need help identifying the black fish in this picture. I took this on a "shark attract" out on the GBR.

Any ideas?

 

[Vie]

...I need help identifying the black fish in this picture.

I can see three or four "black" fish in the photo...

 

[ogeneo]

I can see three or four "black" fish in the photo...

Ok... the main black one with his grill exposed

 

[colbar]

the four black/white stripped fish - 3 @ 11 o'clock and 1 @ 1 o'clock are stripped suckerfish, another is attached to the shark - these are the same family as the remora. The black(ish) fish is probably a rockcod (a member of the grouper family) - difficult to accurately identify without a side on view and full colour.

 

[Papa_Bear]

I think it maybe a Gray Snapper, but it is not a good view or color shot!

 

[colbar]

No such animal as a "Grey snapper" in Oz waters. The Australian snapper is a member of the Sparidae family which includes includes about 40 species of Sea Bream. They are generally recognised as cold water fish but are fished recreationally and commercially as far north as Bowen Qld. There is a Black Snapper but it is a native of of tropical North Western Australia.

 

[Andrew Jones]

A Red Bass. The colours are washed out of the shot

 

[Papa_Bear]

It appears to be a Lutjanus bohar! Remember also the Red lion fish is not supposed to be in the Bahamas either!

 

[stiebs]

A Red Bass. The colours are washed out of the shot

I concur. There are plenty of Red Bass around the GBR, and being the scavengers that they are will often hang around shark feeds and potato cod feeds.

 

[Papa_Bear]

As stated before "Common names are tough" everyone has their own!