Got a fish I can't seem to id

[indiana*joe]

This little guy (along with 3 of his buddies) was shot off of Pensacola Beach. Yea, ok, ok, I was desparate! Anyway, one of the behaviors that made it rather interesting was that when it was startled, it dove into the sand and came back out a couple of feet away! I really wished I had taken the time for some better pics, but I was in a hurry to get out to the little artificial reef and see some more critters. Ha! the joke is on me as this was the only fish I saw the whole dive! I scoured Deloach's book and couldn't really find anything close. The spiked dorsal and stiff pectorals are much different than anything there. I had assumed a killifish earlier until it dove into the sand.


http://allenhost.com/gallery/IndianaJoe20031129

Anyway - any ideas?

 

[archman]

How big are they?

 

[Walter]

Your photos aren't helpful, but the behavior sounds like a Razorfish.

 

[indiana*joe]

archman once bubbled...
How big are they?

They ranged in size from 2-4 inches.

 

[archman]

It's not a razorfish... that's not a labrid body plan. And the dorsal fin's too far back for a blenny, goby, or jawfish. I've never seen anything like this, granted the photos are well, awful.

The top-down photo looks a lot like a toadfish, but not the lateral view.

I give up.

 

[indiana*joe]

...granted the photos are well, awful.

Gotta agree with you. You'de think that if this is the only thing I saw, I could have at least gotten one good pic. They aren't that good, but the fin structure and color (or lack) should at least give someone a hint of where to place these fellows.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Well, the general morphology puts him in the drum family... possibly a croaker or ground mullet. The coloring's not what I'd expect, but then color among these guys is highly variable and changeable at will.
I reckon you're just gonna have to go back and get some better photos.
Rick