Can anybody identify this fish??

[Rpbustillo]

I'm pretty sure it is a type of wrasse, but I'm not sure what kind.

 

[Sillyfishies]

I'm pretty sure it is a type of wrasse, but I'm not sure what kind.

Looks like a blenny. But I'm not knowledgable about the salty side.

 

[Tony Gill]

Yes, it is indeed a wrasse. It's a type of razorfish, a group of very narrow sand-diving wrasses. I can't see enough of it to be particularly positive of the species, but at a guess I would say it's a pearly razorfish (Xyrichthys novacula). Do an image search on that name and see if it matches up. In making this guess, I'm assuming that you caught it locally in Florida.

Tony

 

[Sillyfishies]

Yes, it is indeed a wrasse. It's a type of razorfish, a group of very narrow sand-diving wrasses. I can't see enough of it to be particularly positive of the species, but at a guess I would say it's a pearly razorfish (Xyrichthys novacula). Do an image search on that name and see if it matches up. In making this guess, I'm assuming that you caught it locally in Florida.

Tony

Bit off topic, but isn't it your career to identify fish?

 

[Tony Gill]

Yes, I'm a fish taxonomist. My work involves identifying, describing and classifying fishes. Like most taxonomists, I work in a natural history museum (in my case, Macleay Museum at Sydney University in Australia, but I have also worked in the Australian Museum, Natural History Museum (in the Smithsonian Institution), American Museum of Natural History, and the Natural History Museum (London)), so I'm also responsible for various other things, like looking after and researching the museum's collections, developing exhibits and public outreach.

Thanks,

Tony

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Tony Gill]

Oops, not quite sure how I managed to sign off twice just then. I probably should have mentioned a bit more on how you become a fish taxonomist (if indeed it's a career you might be interested in). Employment usually requires that you have done a Bachelor of Science degree at a university (usually majoring in either biology or zoology), followed by a PhD (with research on fish taxonomy). Unfortunately, there are very positions available for fish taxonomists, and often to get work you have to move cities or countries. (It took me 20 years to get a job back in Australia after working abroad.) But, if you like travelling, collecting fishes, and discovering new things about fishes (including describing new species), it's worth it. If you are interested, I can direct you to more information.

Tony

 

[Tony Gill]

Fish taxonomists are also supposed to be able to spell the scientific names of fishes correctly. Turns out I messed up. It should be "Xyrichtys novacula" not "Xyrichthys novacula".

Tony

 

[Rpbustillo]

Thanks a lot Tony did a search and it does look like my fish. He was caught locally at Fort Pickens. Here's the google image

 

[Beengirl]

Tony gets my vote for "coolest nerd"!!!! You know what they say: be nice to nerds- chances are you'll end up working for one some day. And Tony is super cool! And don't take this the wrong way tony (you know I think you rock): I'm a nerd too and loving it.

 

[DiverDave]

I'm no expert like Tony but after doing a little research it looks kinda like a LUNARE WRASSE..

 

[Tony Gill]

Thanks Beengirl, though I am a little embarrassed to be singled out! Just happy to pass on whatever I can. DiverDave, I gather by lunare wrasse you mean Thalassoma lunare. I can see where you're coming from, but the cheek markings are very different, as is the tail shape. Also, like other razorfishes (or novaculines), Xyrichtys species are very slender when viewed head on (the technical term for this is compressed, meaning the fish is much thinner than it is deep; the opposite term is depressed, when the fish is flattened from top to bottom so that is wider than it is deep). This isn't obvious in the photos, but Rpbustillo should be able to confirm whether his fish is very compressed. Not too many razorfishes find their way into the aquarium trade. The only species I've seen on a regular basis is the rockmover or dragon wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniurus).

Tony

 

[Rpbustillo]

Yes Tony the fish is compressed and thank you for all the info on my fish. Thanks to everybody else that commented and tried to help me out. All of you on AA are very helpful and extremely nice.