Poacher of Some Kind? ID Help!

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:31 pm

Sorry, I don't have access to my books for awhile. Saw this little guy last night at Redondo, and it is my first. Anybody got a postive ID? Sorry, it's the only pic I took, I thought it was one of the many Roughback Sculpins I'd been swimmin over and was tired of photographing... ](*,)

<a href="" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/169 ... 067820.jpg" width="500" height="438" alt="CIMG0157"></a>

Pez7378 · Post by **Pez7378** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:39 pm

My uneducated guess is a "pygmy poacher" (odontopyxis trispinosa)

So there you have it. From the book. C-o-a-s-t-a-l Fishes of the Pacific Northwest.

boydski · Post by **boydski** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:21 pm

I agree, it's a Pygmy Poacher.

Here's one of my Pygmy Poacher Photos.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:36 pm

Thanks Guys! This is one of those photos where I didn't look close because of all the othere similar looking fish I'd been snapping. I wish I'd of taken a couple more pics... Oh well, I'll just have to go diving some more! $\:D/$

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:48 pm

My edu-ma-cated guess is a Pygmy Poacher too.

Do I win? I'm only like three responses too late!

FWIW, those of you who have Paul Humann's Coastal Fish ID book - it's WRONG on this fish! It says an important ID clue for this fish is that it has NO WHISKERS on its chinny chin chin. However, as you can see in Tom and Scott's photos, it most certainly does have one cute little whisker (one on each side actually, as Scott's shot shows really well) and that's an important thing to look for.

- Janna $\:D/$

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:58 pm

Oh, that's a GPO, Tommy. No doubt whatsoever.