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With every cast into the water there is a chance of catching a truly unforgettable fish. This chance for the unknown propels each and every cast. In some cases we are rewarded with world record lunkers and other times that unique species that we have been searching for to complete our grand slam. I never expected that the tug on my line down in the heart of Miami Florida would be a species of fish that I had never seen and could not identify. However, this is the Urban Fishing Show and as we travel from one city to another I am constantly amazed by the wealth of species that can be found within 2 hours of such great cities. On
Season 1 Eposide 6 we were fishing for the aggressive peacock pass. We also knew that there was the chance of catching snook, juvenile tarpon, and largemouth bass. Using a soft plastic jerk bait with a half ounce bullet sinker I was slowly bouncing the bait along a rocky ledge when I felt a strike and then nothing. I yelled fish on but then second guessed myself thinking the strike was nothing more than a branch. As I lifted the rod however I felt the distinct head shake of fish. After reeling in the fish fully I was able to see all the different markings of this half pound fish. The body was a light brown similar to a skate with dark small spots covering every inch. The mouth was located at the bottom of the head and had soft rubbery lips. The dorsal fin looked like that from an arctic grayling while the pectoral fins were enlarged much like that of a red robin. The tail was similar to that of a redfish, but without the characteristic black dots. What made this fish even more astounding was that the entire body was rock hard as though it were armor plated like a gar. From fishing around the world this was one of the more interesting fish I have ever seen. This is where we turned to our audience to help us identify the mystery fish! The responses were wide spread with many suggestions sent to our emails and posted on our YouTube videos. The first person to correctly name the fish was Gary White from Clearwater Florida. Hope you enjoy your new rapala fishing lures. Thanks to his help we can now add a Spotted Sailfin Pleco to the Urban Fishing Show list of fish we have caught! As we first guessed this was an exotic species releases into the canals by a pet owner. The Spotted Sailfin Pleco or its scientific name of Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps is a member of the catfish family and is native to the slow moving rivers of South America and Brazil. This species is also widely sold by fish stores to help keep algae down in tanks. So how did I catch a vegetarian fish with a fishing lure??!! While the Spotted Sailfin Pleco's main diet is algae and other vegetarian meals, it is also an opportunistic scavenger and hunter. Fish stores widely recommend not placing Spotted Sailfin Plecos with smaller fish as they are known to occasionally eat them. Having attacked my lure I wonder if it was this aggressive characteristic that caused the owner to release it into the canal. Urban Fishing Show is committed to environmental conservation and restoration. So here is one of the main questions we have been asking ourselves. Was it correct to release the fish back into the canal since we were not going to eat it or as an exotic species should we have killed it? Please post below to help us figure out how to best answer this question. Thank you all again for helping us identify our mystery fish!
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Tight lines and screaming reels, Urban Fishing Show
MYSTERY FISH
Fish On
Fin like an Arctic Grayling
Mystery Fish Identified
Spotted Sailfin Pleco
Does not play well with others
Should we have killed it?
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