what the heck is this thing?

[cardnial77]

gonna revive this thread. as i caught one today or something that looks similar and did a bit of research to find out exactly what it is. can you believe it actually hit a RM Smith big eye peanut


Sea Raven
(Hemitripterus americanus)
Here is a picture of a Sea Raven (Hemitripterus americanus). They live in the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. This species can be found on rocky bottoms with sand or mud, or among seaweeds. The Sea Raven has the ability to pump itself up with air when removed from the water. Coloration is variable from spectacular reds to yellows and oranges.

the picture below is not one that i took, but from an identification page