# Christmas Fish Tale



## Dustymac (Apr 26, 2008)

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Ours was great, as usual, but this time we had a little excitement. This year Christmas dinner was at Uncle Harry's in Annapolis which included a couple seafood courses. While cousin Mark was shucking the oysters, he came across this little fella:










Evidently the fry had entered the oyster shell through a small gap, ate the oyster, and then was too big to get back out again. What's more amazing, this fish was still alive although it had been out of the water and refrigerated since the oysters were harvested from the Choptank the day before. We thought it was a baby Snakehead mostly because they're much in the news lately for invading the Potomac, and they're known for their air-breathing.

We put it in a glass jar but the fresh water seemed to hurt it more than having it out in the open air. Since it was suffering and we couldn't let it go back into the bay, and we didn't have a saltwater tank, we opted for euthanasia. 

After an hour or so of research this morning, I decided it probably wasn't a Snakehead and resembled more a Spotted Hake, but if anyone knows better, we'd be interested to know for sure.

Happy New year!
Jim


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I have no clue what you've got there Jim, but it's pretty cool anyway. Thanks for the pic and story. If you find any more info let me know.


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## DarrylR (Dec 5, 2007)

Woah thats creepy to find :S.


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## MagpieTear (Jan 25, 2009)

I'm inclined to agree that it is some sort of Hake, the snakehead fingerlings are more of a miniature of the adults.


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## Cwhite (Feb 21, 2009)

Wow, I can't believe that thing was still alive!


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