Not very nice

[FisHaRNekEd]

This guy is about 16-20" long and kinda stout like a grouper but his bottom jaw was almost beak like. I took this Pic last week in the Gulf of Aiden HOA. About 10-12 m deep. He seemd to be alone and not in a school
He was one of the fyew fish that didnt scatter as i came lumbering along, he let me get about a foot away then took a wack at the camera (I then decided to leave him alone)

I also saw a black lion fish a little smaller than a football, is this heard of or did I have the bends? I lost him in some debris before i could get close enough. Im goin back down next month this time i wont drop the camera (got it back though it floats).

[spotfin]

May be some type of hawkfish.

[Scuba Kid]

Looks sort of like an adult ornate hawkfish. Hmmm not quite sure though.

[FisHaRNekEd]

What about the Black lion fish? im i crazy, iv owned several lionfish and never heard of this.

[BIGgourami]

yeah there are black lions? buduh...:D but seriously there are.

it kinda looks like a nassau grouper

[Scuba Kid]

The stripes on the side look right for a nassau grouper, but they don't have spots like that...

And yes, there are black lionfish. :D

http://www.tankedup-imaging.com/images/pre_lionfish_black1.jpg

[FisHaRNekEd]

Thats the one, Thanx.

[chrisdef15]

Yeah its def some type of grouper.

[FisHaRNekEd]

I guess maybe the stars were alligned just right and a grouper cross bred with a hawk fish to make some sort of hawk-grouper.

maybe not the stars but nuclear waste?

It did have a beak like mouf. How big do Hawkfish get?

[Scuba Kid]

Hawkfish can get big depending on the species.

Beak like mouth definitely suggests that its not a grouper.....groupers have big lips. :)

[FisHaRNekEd]

Thank you for all the help gents or ladies.

I will have the guessing game again after my next dive, im not too familiar with non game fish. And im new to scuba.

p.s. i have many more pics if anyone wants to see.

[Rass]

Groupers are also highly variable in color within the same localities and species and it even depends on their moods, time of day and different activities. I have a coney grouper and I regularly see it about 4 different colors and patterns and any combo there of.

[Scuba Kid]

Post your pics up! I'm sure everyone will want to see. :)

[FisHaRNekEd]

here's a few more

[BIGgourami]

solar wrasse, porkfish, acrocorpa some bleaching some not, purple tang, and some other fish, maybe a sweetlips or grunt?

[FisHaRNekEd]

Thanx for the ID

[Scuba Kid]

Yep, the last one looks like some kind of sweetlips. Pretty fish. :)

[BIGgourami]

just trying to help :D

[chrisdef15]

Hawkfish can get big depending on the species.

Beak like mouth definitely suggests that its not a grouper.....groupers have big lips. :)


Have a look at a footish long miniata or polleni. Mouth looks exactly like the pic. Not all groupers look the same.
I dont think he ment a beak i think he ment it was pointy.

[FisHaRNekEd]

Pointy' Beaky' -same thing

[BIGgourami]

but pointy can still be fleshy, beaks are usually hard/bony

[FisHaRNekEd]

I wasnt paying that much attention but Pointy, Beaky, Fleshy its all the same.

[FisHaRNekEd]

Seriously, it had a pointy mouf i think i may have said 'beak' but it wasnt like a parrot fish it had lips.

so final answer looks like-
Grouper or
hawkfish or
undecided based on that being a low quality pick at a bad angle.

thanks for your support,
-Eddie-

[Atarax]

post more pics when u get em. looks like a great place to dive.

[FisHaRNekEd]

Yes the diving is great once you get past the terrorism, starvation and oil slick / Dump they call a port. ill be going the last week of this month, and be back with pore pics. thanks

[FisHaRNekEd]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1094451#post1094451

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