what was dat??

[Boatless]

Was at the lake on sunday on a boat! We saw a blackish colored fish rise to the surface from the deep, hit the surface, for no apparent reason except what looked like to gulp air, then went back down. What is that? Remember, I'm a rookie so this is probably a really dumb question.
Just trying to get familiarized with the inhabitants.

Mahalo

[skunked]

If you pay attention, you will see the same thing happen multiple times per trip. In the past, it could've been a chinese catfish (puntat), or a snakehead (pongee), but those fish are rare nowadays. I am 100% sure that what you saw was an armored catfish. In the aquarium trade they're known as plecostomus. They are an introduced species that inhabit ponds and rivers all over the island. Some here feel that they are eating the algae and other plant matter that the shad need to survive.

Here's one I accidentally snagged on a lipless crankbait. They get much bigger than this. Look along the bank when the water is low. All those holes were made by these fish.

[Boatless]

Manoa stream is full of those plecos. And yes they do get huge 12"+ and they are hardy. But I read in an earlier post that the holes were made by red devils? Also, strange that the plecos would need to come to the surface since they spend all their time on the bottom. Thanks for the info.

[Stan Wright]

Yea, thats the one. Next time your in the pet store, they are the little catfish looking things about 2 inches long eating the algi off the side of the tank. Some well meaning aquarium owner probably dumped them in the lake and streams insted of returning them to the pet store when they got tired of taking care of the aquarium. Bad move.

They drive the mainland trout fishermen wild... look like rising trout, but they won't take a fly.
Stan