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Had a friend send me this picture of a capture he made while scalloping at Horseshoe beach this weekend. I've seen them before but never knew specifically what they were. We've googled lizard, croaker, puffer, blow, mother in law, etc but haven't been able to find a match. What say ye....

Toad fish. Your friend is lucky he still has all his digits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toadfish

I've seen several of those tails sticking out of the grass while scalloping this year. I was wondering what it could be, now I know.

Caught one this past weekend that could have been a state record. Demonstrated to my sons the clamping power of those jaws on a bait knife. Needless to say, my sons were impressed when he almost took a chip out of the blade. As Tom said, the way that one in the picture is being held, your lucky he didn't take a a chunk out of a hand. They are mean as hell. My grandfather always told us to avoid handling them because they have a poisonous fin on the gill plates. Never heard of anyone getting hit, but I still don't handle them with a bare hand when I catch them.

He didnt ever open his mouth but I see where they are described as prone to bite. Guess I lucked out.

There is only one phylum or order of these that is poisonous according to an internet page I googled up and its not the Oyster Toad. And that poisonous one apparently "only" causes pain, not lethal. But then again when I was a kid we caught and ate a few blowfish, which are famous for being a toxic delicacy in Japan and Korea where people die from eating it raw.

Meant to say "puffers" - we ate em cooked of course. Had no info on toxicity back in the dark ages.

Keels is correct. Toadfish.

That toadfish is either full or pregnant. Either way, no wonder it did not open its mouth.

Food Value : None

Fishing points: Minus