It does look like a juvenile Lookdown. Some photos of very young Lookdown show them with long filaments from their fins. Looks your fish outgrew them - or maybe they were torn off.
Submitted by Carlos Estape on Mon, 09/19/2011 - 21:00.
Very similar body shape and markings but, as you say, the long trailing dorsal filament is obvously missing as are the long ventral? fins. Going out again tomorrow to look for more.
Submitted by dublongboarder on Sun, 09/25/2011 - 09:04.
Definitely a moonfish. We pull them in all the time here in NC in seines and trawls. Aside from missing the filaments, which could just be a damaged juvenile lookdown, the forehead is a little different from that of a similar sized lookdown.
Judie Clee! Nice to see you on here! Thanks again for all the help on the old REEF Forum. The reason I patrol this board is I remember how useful the old one was back when I was new to fishwatching.
Darn 'Moonfish' is a common name for half a dozen species, but I assume you're talking about Selene setapinnis. Anyway, I enlarged the photo and got a second dorsal fin count (segmented rays) of 23 and a second anal fin count of 18.
Since setapinnis = D-IX, 21. A-III, 17
and vomer = D-IX, 23. A-III, 18
I think it's safe to say Carlos' fish is a Lookdown, Selene vomer.
Lookdown
It does look like a juvenile Lookdown. Some photos of very young Lookdown show them with long filaments from their fins. Looks your fish outgrew them - or maybe they were torn off.
Check out this photo on FishBase. You can see a faint eyebar: http://fishbase.se/Photos/PicturesSummary.php?StartRow=3&ID=1004&what=species&TotRec=11
Louis
Very similar body shape and
Very similar body shape and markings but, as you say, the long trailing dorsal filament is obvously missing as are the long ventral? fins. Going out again tomorrow to look for more.
Could it be a Moonfish?
Could it be a Moonfish?
Selene setapinnis
Definitely a moonfish. We pull them in all the time here in NC in seines and trawls. Aside from missing the filaments, which could just be a damaged juvenile lookdown, the forehead is a little different from that of a similar sized lookdown.
Lookdown, Selene vomer
Judie Clee! Nice to see you on here! Thanks again for all the help on the old REEF Forum. The reason I patrol this board is I remember how useful the old one was back when I was new to fishwatching.
Darn 'Moonfish' is a common name for half a dozen species, but I assume you're talking about Selene setapinnis. Anyway, I enlarged the photo and got a second dorsal fin count (segmented rays) of 23 and a second anal fin count of 18.
Since setapinnis = D-IX, 21. A-III, 17
and vomer = D-IX, 23. A-III, 18
I think it's safe to say Carlos' fish is a Lookdown, Selene vomer.
Louis