Has anyone here ever caught a Monkeyface Prickleback?

[sportsmanlio]

The first time I fished in the ocean I was a freshman in high school. We had a class biology trip that lasted a few days. The seas were good to us, and we caught more fish than any class before us. I was instantly hooked.

When we went to the harbor to get the boats ready, my friends and I discovered a "Rockfish Identification Guide," that had been provided by the ODFW. In it were a number of groundfish, but the one that became our immediate favorite was a fish that looked half-eel and half-lingcod. It was the Monkeyface Prickleback.



Has anyone ever caught one of these? I have a standing "bet" with a friend that whoever catches one first gets to have it cooked by the other. I would love to know the secrets behind this hideous creature.

 

[steelhead_slayer]

what a cute fish

 

[christopherbeebe]

My wife caught one or something that looked like one out in Westport, WA we actually still never knew what it was either a large rock prickleback or a monkey face

 

[halibuthitman]

monk eels are found in coral rock piles, mooch herring at the base of rock piles or the outside end of a jetty. The creature above looks like a slime eel-

 

[TJR_84]

I have heard that they taste pretty good but i dont think i could get myself to eat it.

 

[Perry]

Very cool looking.

 

[sportsmanlio]

That is great! I can't tell you for sure what it was from the picture, but it could also be a wolf eel, as those are pretty common off the Oregon coast. Regardless, you just made my day with that picture. It looks close enough to a monkeyface prickleback...

Thanks!

 

[Lippy_me]

we got two of them out of Tillimook bay march 29th 2013