[Ken Jones]

http://kenjonesfishing.com/2017/12/avalon-in-christmas-time/

[Mahigeer]

Nice report.

Fun trip even with the cold weather.

[makairaa]

I know them as a glass eye squirrelfish. Actual common or scientific name?

[makairaa]

Relative to the popeye catalufa.

[makairaa]

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/3517

Still not 100% sure on exact species, but this is the family. The markings on that one are stress colors. Sorry having fun looking it up while at the in-laws for christmas eve.

[Ken Jones]

The more information the better. Milton thought it was probably in the same family as the popeye catalufa.

Wish now that we had kept the fish. I knew it wasn't an illegal California species but our natural inclination was to return it to the water.

[EgoNonBaptizo]

Some species of big eye. The hawaiians call them āweoweo. It is either in Priacanthus or Heteropriacanthus. I'm leaning towards the latter due to the shape of the markings and fins. As for exact species I am not entirely sure. Either way that is an extremely lost fish. They are also apparently good eating.

[Ken Jones]

EgoNonBaptizo,

A little off topic, but I wonder how many on the board recognize the history behind your signature?

Ego non baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli!

As Ahab in Moby Dick baptizes his harpoon with his own blood he says — "Ego non baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli" ("I baptize you not in the name of the father, but in the name of the devil)."

[Mahigeer]

Good to know. I sure learned something new.


Thanks.

[Ken Jones]

There have been many interesting signature names over the years. They would make an interesting list.

[Ken Jones]

An initial (and speculative) guess at this time is that the fish may be a heteropriacanthus carolinus, a tropical fish that lives in the South Pacific and points west. It's never been reported from California.

However, the pictures have been sent to the "expert" on that family and we will see what develops. Maybe yes, maybe no.

I wish (and Milton wishes) that I had kept the fish.

[calaznfisher]

Sorry to drag a thread up from the dead, but I was wondering if Milton ever came up with a definitive ID on the fish?

I ask, because I've caught many of them along the Baja coast, and I found it fairly easy to identify as Glasseye (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus). The fish is displaying a classic stress pattern.

This is one of the most widespread species in the family of Priacanthidae, and have a circumglobal distribution... ask me how I know? Because I've caught them everywhere from the Central and East Pacific to the Indian Ocean. This poses somewhat of a disaster for a species hunter trying to find new species of Priacanthidae to catch.

Anyways, since they were a fairly common catch for me in Baja (alongside the Popeye Catalufa), I'm not surprised they've made their way up north along with Largemouth Blenny, Shortfin Corvina, and Cortez Bonefish among others.

They're quite fun to catch on ultralight tackle, and everytime I encounter them, I'm usually able to catch a half dozen or more due to their schooling tendencies.





Here is Ken's fish for comparison.

[Ken Jones]

It looks like the same fish to me.

[Ken Jones]

I talked to Milton Love and he tends to agree with the ID.

[calaznfisher]