Fish Identification

[Port Eliza Fishing]

Does anyone know what this fish is? It came from Saltery bay in Esperanza inlet. It is about 10 inches long. It had been vacuum packed already before I took the picture

 

[RiverBoy]

hard to tell as it’s all compressed in the bag; my guess is some sort of kelp cod or green ling

 

[Port Eliza Fishing]

Here is a better picture of it. I'm positive it's not a kelp greening.

 

[Kildonan]

Juvenile Ragfish?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragfish

 

[RiverBoy]

yeah...no idea. almost looks like something took a bite out of it at some point

 

[Bugs]

Wow... that is cool. I think @Kildonan is right... How did you work that one out? Had you seen one before. The juvenile looks nothing like the adult

 

[Port Eliza Fishing]

Juvenile Ragfish?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragfish

Thanks! It doesnt have a very rigid skeleton so probably is cartilage as is described in the link you sent. I think our mystery is solved. One person here thought it was a mutant since it was caught near a fish farm!

 

[Big Green Machine]

The person who retained this fish did not know what species they were sealing?

 

[Port Eliza Fishing]

The person who retained this fish did not know what species they were sealing?

There is one in every crowd. FYI it was caught in a FN gill net, was dead and was sealed to freeze it for ID as no one here had ever seen one. Thought it was something unusual or perhaps invasive and might be of interest to someone at UBC.

 

[Kildonan]

Wow... that is cool. I think @Kildonan is right... How did you work that one out? Had you seen one before. The juvenile looks nothing like the adult

I’d seen a post on facebook from earlier in the day with a pic of another Ragfish and somebody asking what it was. A commercial fisher identified it. It may have been the same fish but different poster.
I’d never heard of or seen one before either until yesterday. It’s a weird looking thing for sure.

 

[adanac]

sometimes the small juveniles 5 - 8 inches long i have found in chinook and halibut stomach contents off the QCI. they get quite large i believe ( north of 100lbs )

 

[wildmanyeah]

What ever it is it looks like it has something big in its stomach. Its contents would be on interesting for sure.