What is this from the Gulf of Mexico???

[KY_BOB]

A fisherman friend of mine caught this on accident and released it but has no clue what it is. I've never seen one underwater and have no clue. It was caught in the Gulf near Gluf Shores. Can someone tell me, so that I can tell him?

Please don't flog me. I would rather see it underwater than in his hand but he ask for ID.

 

[Wookie]

A very young filefish. It will lose that bottom fin as it gets older. It's probably a scrawled filefish, probably not an orange spotted filefish.

 

[ryan115]

That would be a moderate sized Fringed Filefish Monacanthus ciliatus, they generally dont get much bigger than 4"-5". Easily distinguished by the large dewlap (modified pelvic fin)