Unknown Fish

olaf

olaf

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Jan 8, 2003
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I was down in Boca Grande, Florida walking on the mud/sand flats in the intercoastal. When I came upon this fish. It was tan on top and white under neath. It had black spots. I picked it up and it swung its head around to bite me. Mouth full of teeth! I put it down on the exposed mud and it pushed its finless hard pointed tail into the mud and start to disappear backwards, burrowing into the mud within seconds it was gone under the mud. I had noticed before the holes in the mud and the tunnels but I passed it off as crabs or something like that, I know different now. I carry a sketch pad with me when ever I go anywhere so I did a drawing of this fish....here it is
 
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Very nice drawing, you're very talented! (Coming from someone that can't even draw stick figures.) Looks like some kind of eel. It's a good thing it didn't bite you! They can sometimes cause bad infections. I hobe someone here can ID it for you.
 
I think that it's the American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, but I cannot find pictures with spots...there is also a European eel, but I doubt that that would be migrating here without some serious problems with currents.

Very very nice drawing. I wish that I had your skills.
 
Thanks!
I am a graphic designer.
I have found a few fish close to what it looks like.
It has spots like a spotted snake eel.
Opoph_u1.jpg

But it has pectoral fins as seen in my drawing.
 
It was in the inter-coastal water way at low tide. The water was about a twelve inch below the mud flat. The fish was out of the water sitting on top of the mud.
The dorsal and anal fins ended right before the end of the tail with no caudal fin. The end of the tail was hard and sharply pointed. (I will do an illustration to show you this detail, I will send it after I draw it).
 
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