Does anyone know what kind of fish this is?

[Rainmaker]

We took a run to the corners over the weekend. Fishing was slow but we got a few. I picked up this fish, I am not sure what it is. Looks (and tastes) like some type of snapper. Caught it in 800' of water off the bottom. Any ideas?

[csurf]

Looks like a Black Sea Bass.. nice size one too.

[Rainmaker]

I have caught many of sea bass over the years. The mouth on those looks more like a grouper (at least the fish we call sea bass in FL). This ones mouth is smaller like a snapper.

[csurf]

Good call on the mouth.. not a seabass.

[hyperstryper]

lookslike a cross between a seabass and a tautog

[ScottM]

If that were a black sea bass it would be a world record. I don't know what that fish is but's not a black sea bass, at least not the same ones we get in the NE.

[DonV]

Sorry Mr. Rainmaker......I'm not sure what is is except ugly. But if it tastes like snapper then it's not so ugly after all.

[Rainmaker]

After some searching and asking, I think this one is a Black Snapper. That may explain why it tasted like a snapper.

[Fr. Frank]

Yes, it is a Black Snapper.
I've caught a very few over the years when fishing for Tile fish, usually straight off the Ball at Juno/Lost Tree 3 1/2 to 4 miles offshore, or at the Tiger Bowl, 6 miles off Delray. I've never caught one in less than 300' of water, and most have been 600'+. The last one I caught was in the mid 1990's.

[Skiblet]

Pomfret