"I said, throw me BAAAAAAAAACK!" The first reader to correctly identify the name of this mouthy species will win a free Chesapeake Bay Foundation T-Shirt. Enter your guesses as comments in the section below.
UPDATE: Okay, that was way too easy. Next week, you guys are getting a hardball. Yes, this is a monkfish, Lophius americanus, also known as a goosefish or an anglerfish. And the winner is Stacey Fowler! Stacey, send an email to me (tpelton@cbf.org) with your T-shirt size and address, and we'll mail you your prize.
Monkfish, also known as "allmouth," are voracious bottom-dwelling predators known to eat other fish almost as big as themselves. They sometimes even gobble up waterbirds at the surface. These creatures have modified spines, called "esca," that can be wiggled in front of the fish's mouth to act like a lure to attract prey.
Although they're almost all mouth in front, they grow up to about a yard in length and live about a decade. They range from Canada along the East Coast south to North Carolina, and are occasional visitors to the lower Chesapeake Bay from late fall to early spring. When they spawn, the females release buoyant, jelly-like egg masses that float in large mats on the surface.
In addition to releasing eggs, they also spin off huge numbers of aliases -- aka monkfish, goosefish, anglerfish, allmouth, etc.
By Tom Pelton
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
(Thanks to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the top photo and facts; illustration from N.O.A.A.)
angler fish
Posted by: stacey fowler | 01/27/2011 at 10:16 AM
oyster toadfish??
Posted by: John Blackhurst | 01/27/2011 at 10:16 AM
It's an Oyster toad!
Posted by: Isabelle | 01/27/2011 at 10:17 AM
Batfish?
Posted by: Janet Sturgis | 01/27/2011 at 10:18 AM
Oyster Toadfish!!
Posted by: Jackie Gerald | 01/27/2011 at 10:19 AM
Monkfish.
Posted by: Gib Brogan | 01/27/2011 at 10:20 AM
Dogfish
Posted by: Gretchen Esbensen | 01/27/2011 at 10:22 AM
Monkfish
Posted by: Jeff | 01/27/2011 at 10:22 AM
Oyster toad fish
Posted by: Sandy Gateau | 01/27/2011 at 10:23 AM
Goosefish
Posted by: John | 01/27/2011 at 10:23 AM
Goosefish!
Posted by: Meghan C | 01/27/2011 at 10:26 AM
blackfin Goosefish (monkfish) Lophius gastrophysus
Posted by: Douglas B | 01/27/2011 at 10:27 AM
Monkfish
Posted by: JC Brotherhood | 01/27/2011 at 10:42 AM
Oyster Toadfish!
Posted by: Christy | 01/27/2011 at 10:54 AM
Monkfish
Posted by: Connie Lewis | 01/27/2011 at 11:09 AM
Monkfish
Posted by: Melissa | 01/27/2011 at 11:09 AM
lophius americanus, otherwise known as a monkfish, good eatin, sometimes the way they are fished is bad for the seabed
Posted by: Mike | 01/27/2011 at 01:07 PM
well, in the eastern coast of north america it's called a goosefish, but monkfish is the most common english name for the genus lophius.
Posted by: Allison | 01/27/2011 at 02:50 PM
Big Mouth Fish
Posted by: Betsy | 01/27/2011 at 03:29 PM
Monk fish are delicious to eat! When they are small, if you service the whole fish, it looks like a baby dragon.
Posted by: Patsy | 01/28/2011 at 01:03 PM
Never saw a fish that look like that.
Posted by: Jeff | 12/16/2011 at 12:31 PM