I.D. Please
 

So this little guy was snagged by my buddy on Saturday night in Newport on a Pt. Jude tin. We were fishing a rocky area in Newport.

I looked in some books couldnt find anything close to it.

Some points about the fish:

The color was a much brighter red than when these shots were taken.

Fish was slimy like eel.

Has small spines on the dorsal fin.

Has little teeth.

Maybe some kind of goby????

Any ideas?

Snagged a couple of those before but not sure what they are...
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Rock gunnel

to scale replica's of frankie's johnson? :rotf2:

Almost looks like a juvenile red hake.

Rock gunnel and you are probably right about the size.

turd fish?

My guess was a baby red hake as well.

Looks like hake to me. Lots around this year.

woody has it right

rock gunnel (Pholis Gunnelis)

Close... Not a rock gunnel, but a banded gunnel... Pholis fasciata. The color & pattern on rock gunnels (especially that size) is much more pronounced, additionally they don't have the bars on the dorsal/anal fins... they have a row of black spots.

*** Edit... I lied... I just checked the range, and banded's seem to be much more northernly. Gunnel for sure, doesn't look like a rock, but it must be as that's the only species in the range. Only other thing I can think of is a juvie wrymouth.

rock gunnel

Color depends on bottom where it lives.