| This channel scabbardfish was caught off Mexico. Photo: Courtesy of Sean Castle |
SWS reader Sean Castle snapped a photo of this mystery fish that was caught off Playa de Carmen of Mexico’s Yucatan. Our first guess was an oarfish, but we weren’t completely sure so we asked Dr. R. Wilson Laney with the South Atlantic Fisheries Coordination Office. Here’s what he had to say.
“The fish doesn’t have the long dorsal fin rays that an oarfish has. Instead, it appeared to me to belong to the scabbardfish family. After a little research, I came across an image of a fish known as the channel scabbardfish (Evoxymetopon taeniatus), and it’s pretty clear that it’s the winner in this case.”
| Got a photo of a weird catch? E-mail your pic to editor@saltwatersportsman.com. We’ll identify the fish and publish the photo in a future issue. |
