What Type of Fish?

[diddlyfish]

I'm down here on Fripp Island in SC and keep catching these 5 - 9 inch silver fish with purple on their heads...

Being from Indiana I don't often get to fish on the coast and never caught these when I lived on the Gulf...

Please help, it's driving me crazy.

Thanks,
Phil

[Steve]

Welcome to the board Phil, nice to have ya here!

What size are the scales?
Are they a slender of more flat-round fish?
Catching them on baited hook or netting?

[diddlyfish]

Thanks Steve.
Scales seemed fairly small and it was a slender fish. I've been catching them off a pier with a hook baited with squid. The purple, from what I remember, started above the eyes and ended at the dorsal fin (kind of like a purple toupee). It's a bright purple, slightly dark than lavender, but very rich in color. The silver of the body is fairly shiny, or at least more shiny than dull.

[Steve]

Kind'a like a small-scaled purple Mullet but with a more slender head?

[diddlyfish]

I may have to nab one tomorrow and take a photo of it. Was a bit like a mullet but with a single dorsal fin and it's jaw had a bit more of a downward angle to it. 5 - 9 inches may have been a little off, now that I'm trying to figure out what this little booger is, I began to second guess myself. The smallest I caught had to be about 7 and the largest about 11. OH - and lots of snorting and grunting when you pull the guys out of the water!

Actually looks similar, in body, to the "Grunt"...but don't find any in that family that match.

I'd assume it's a common fish here on the Atlantic side, just can't find it in any of the local guides.

If you are still drawing a blank I'll be sure to catch one tomorrow and post a photo. Thanks for trying to ease my curious mind.

Phil

[diddlyfish]

Wasn't able to catch one today. Not much was biting mid-day, when I was able to go, only caught a little black tip. Will try again tomorrow.

[diddlyfish]

Atlantic Croakers. Finally caught another and took better notes. They look much different in person. The stripes didn't really jump out the other day, I had to really look close to see them today. The "pinkish" coloration in the scales was/is much more "purplish" in my opinion. Never saw any black dots on them either. Regardless of the official description, that's what they've got to be.

[Steve]

Another site to check, but more scientific in nature would be fishbase.org.
They may have numerous entries for Croaker, you'll have to narrow it down.
Sure wish you could catch another and get a pic.
But congrats on the Blacktip, at least you got some pullage!