CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THIS FISH PLEASE

[Security man]

Was out collecting bait tonight and we were wading through water knee-high, at the edge of the river estuary (Wexford).
Under the light of the headlamp, we spotted a LIGHT-BLUE fish, very unusual, in the clear water.
Neither of us have ever seen anything like it before. (The only blue fish I ever saw was either on the great barrier reef, or in an aquarium!!).
We got him in the bucket (he swam with a waddle and had no speed whatsoever - reminds me of those big fat oriental goldfish you would see in a pond) and then he turned DARK GREEN! (see picture).
Now it could be a very common species to Irish waters, but I have trawled through the Central Fisheries book and website, and still can't identify what it is.

We thought it might be some type of weaver fish, so we didn't handle it. Don't think they're blue though!

Any help greatly appreciated

[FISHAHOLIC]

looks like a lump sucker fish

[english jim]

a very small lump sucker have seen them the size of rugby balls good luck

[Security man]

Thats exactly it, many thanks, lads!

That explains why he's stuck to the bottom of the bucket...

[corbyeire]

good to see those pictures

[Davy Murdoch]

def a lumpsucker.they move inshore during the winter to spawn.
the male guard the "nest".think its the males that are blue/green and the females are red/brown.
they grow to over 20lb the british shore record is just over 20lb.
you`ll sometimes find them washed up after a storm.
saw one in norway swimming in and out of the boulders on the breakwater.
very cool looking fish wouldn`t mind catching one

[dan]

i caught one of those wee small ones a few years ago on a size 16 hook in portaferry, only one i ever caught.

[Rampent Wreckfish]

Looks like a shore rockling to me

[stevecrow74]

its great to see such fish coming in close to our waters, just shows there is still quite a good variety of fish out there..

Looks like a shore rockling to me

i think you need to get your eye's re-checked, the jam jar bottoms might not be strong enough any more

[scara]

Used to catch them in the drift nets..

always caught females for some reason..I think.... the red/pink ones.

always went away live.

we called them hen fish?

[scara]

Used to catch them in the drift nets..

always caught females for some reason..I think.... the red/pink ones.

always went away live.

we called them hen fish?

[dan]

millions of tiny ones in strangford lough.