Unidentified brown and white fish

[kchill]

Hello


I'm afraid I didn't have a camera for this one. But hoping my description may help.

The fish i saw was primarily brown with white markings. It was about 12 cm long. It's back and underside had a sort of feathery look...ie.not solid. It wasn't chunky looking like a scorpion fish. Just shaped otherwise like a normal fish. And there was a single, what I'd say looked liked a brown 'tail', thin and long, about 5cm, protruding from its head/nose. It didn't look thick towards the bottom. And i didn't wonder if this was just damage.


I saw it in about 5ft of water, in the Maldives. Baa atoll.


Would appreciate any suggestions as I can't find it in any ID guides.


K

 

[Gumbies R Us]

It's hard to tell without having a picture of it

 

[cdemoss01]

It's hard to tell without having a picture of it

I agree here. But it sounds like a toad or angler fish.. Even if it didn't look chunky.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello


I'm afraid I didn't have a camera for this one. But hoping my description may help.

The fish i saw was primarily brown with white markings. It was about 12 cm long. It's back and underside had a sort of feathery look...ie.not solid. It wasn't chunky looking like a scorpion fish. Just shaped otherwise like a normal fish. And there was a single, what I'd say looked liked a brown 'tail', thin and long, about 5cm, protruding from its head/nose. It didn't look thick towards the bottom. And i didn't wonder if this was just damage.


I saw it in about 5ft of water, in the Maldives. Baa atoll.


Would appreciate any suggestions as I can't find it in any ID guides.


K

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That sounds like a juvenile rockmover wrasse. They are known as dragon wrasse. Adults look different.

 

[Sam7]

Hello


I'm afraid I didn't have a camera for this one. But hoping my description may help.

The fish i saw was primarily brown with white markings. It was about 12 cm long. It's back and underside had a sort of feathery look...ie.not solid. It wasn't chunky looking like a scorpion fish. Just shaped otherwise like a normal fish. And there was a single, what I'd say looked liked a brown 'tail', thin and long, about 5cm, protruding from its head/nose. It didn't look thick towards the bottom. And i didn't wonder if this was just damage.


I saw it in about 5ft of water, in the Maldives. Baa atoll.


Would appreciate any suggestions as I can't find it in any ID guides.


K

Angler fish

 

[Zach136378]

If it was sticking to the rocks an angler fish or a dragon wrasse or rock mover wrasse

 

[kchill]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That sounds like a juvenile rockmover wrasse. They are known as dragon wrasse. Adults look different.

Thank you!!! I was almost going to give in! That is spot on what it was! Thank you

 

[kchill]

If it was sticking to the rocks an angler fish or a dragon wrasse or rock mover wrasse

Thank you! That's helped!

 

[kchill]

Thank you all. It was a rockmover wrasse juvenile as noted by some above.

 

[kchill]

It's incredible how different the adult looks!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello


I'm afraid I didn't have a camera for this one. But hoping my description may help.

The fish i saw was primarily brown with white markings. It was about 12 cm long. It's back and underside had a sort of feathery look...ie.not solid. It wasn't chunky looking like a scorpion fish. Just shaped otherwise like a normal fish. And there was a single, what I'd say looked liked a brown 'tail', thin and long, about 5cm, protruding from its head/nose. It didn't look thick towards the bottom. And i didn't wonder if this was just damage.


I saw it in about 5ft of water, in the Maldives. Baa atoll.


Would appreciate any suggestions as I can't find it in any ID guides.


K

In addition to the dragon wrasse I mentioned, there is also a razorfish wrasse that has a fin at the top of its head as a juvenile - Iniistius pavo