Need help identifying a fish

[mkc]

I’m not a fisherman but I really need help identifying a fish I saw and were else is better than a fishing forum to identify a fish. I hope this is acceptable.
I was scuba diving in the Saint Laurence River this weekend on the Rothesay wreck when my buddy and I saw a fish we had never seen before. The body had the profile of a flatfish but it was swimming vertically not flat on the bottom, it had silver scales, almost white. We were not able to get close enough to see its mouth so we can’t say if it was under the head or not. It was the size of a car tire. It did not swim very fast. Once it was out of sight we circled the wreck again, on are way back we saw it a second time. Does anyone know what kind of fish this was? I searched the internet without success.

 

[AaronKrick]

I’m not a fisherman but I really need help identifying a fish I saw and were else is better than a fishing forum to identify a fish. I hope this is acceptable.
I was scuba diving in the Saint Laurence River this weekend on the Rothesay wreck when my buddy and I saw a fish we had never seen before. The body had the profile of a flatfish but it was swimming vertically not flat on the bottom, it had silver scales, almost white. We were not able to get close enough to see its mouth so we can’t say if it was under the head or not. It was the size of a car tire. It did not swim very fast. Once it was out of sight we circled the wreck again, on are way back we saw it a second time. Does anyone know what kind of fish this was? I searched the internet without success.

I am looking in my freshwater fishes of ontario book right now :smile:

 

[AaronKrick]

Was it very flat?

 

[Dugger]

sheesh... pondering this.....

 

[AaronKrick]

These are my guesses:

Mooneye Mooneyes family
American Shad Herrings family
Goldfish Carps and Minnows family
White bass. Temperate basses family
Flounder

 

[Dugger]

... were you in a section of the St. Lawrence where there may be brackish water? Saltwater can be encountered just outside of Quebec City. Maybe you were up near Kingston. Catfish has some good ideas there... shad, mooneyes etc... but the size of a car tire? wow

 

[grubman]

Wish you had a helmet mounted GoPro cam. I could be a River Monster........

 

[mkc]

Thank you all for your input, I found my fish; it’s a Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus Grunniens)

http://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Freshwater-Drum-Underwater/G0000ZxB8jQ8yQZw/I0000eHW9TfkrabY

I found it in the book called Ken Schultz’s Guide to Freshwater.

Size/Age. The average size of a freshwater drum is 15inches and 3 pounds, although they can grow to 50 pounds. The average commercial catch usually weighs 1 to 5 pounds. The all-tackle record is 54 pounds, 8 ounces. Freshwater drum can live up to 20 years.

Distribution. The freshwater drum occurs over much of the United States, between the Rockies and the Appalachians southward throughout eastern Mexico to Guatemala’s Río Usumacinta system and northward through Manitoba, Canada, all the way to Hudson Bay. It also occurs in some areas of Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

 

[Dugger]

aha the Drum!!

.... makes sense now

next time you see him/her, say hi from us

 

[chris f]

aha the Drum!!

.... makes sense now

next time you see him/her, say hi from us

better yet tell him to head duggers way :lol:

 

[mkc]

aha the Drum!!

.... makes sense now

next time you see him/her, say hi from us

If it makes for good fishing I think it lives in or around the ship wreck. The GPS coordinates are N44 41.967 W75 31.667

The wreck is called the Rothesay

http://www.saveontarioshipwrecks.on.ca/diverguides/dguide5.html

 

[Dugger]

better yet tell him to head duggers way :lol:

 

[Dugger]

If it makes for good fishing I think it lives in or around the ship wreck. The GPS coordinates are N44 41.967 W75 31.667

The wreck is called the Rothesay

http://www.saveontarioshipwrecks.on.ca/diverguides/dguide5.html

very cool! thank you, MKC