Q: While fishing at the Hudson Canyon off Long Island for tuna, we netted this odd fish behind the boat. It's about eight inches long. What do you think?

Bob Ferrara
Great River, New York

A: Unfortunately, your photo doesn't show enough of the fish to identify it to species, Bob, but it is certainly identifiable as a rattail, aka grenadier (family Macrouridae), related to cods and hakes. Demersal fishes, rattails typically reside at great depths on the upper continental slope. If you've seen videos from submersibles or any of the exploratory films made around the Titanic or other deep wrecks, you've probably noticed these fish cruising around. Instead of a caudal fin, their body tapers to a pointed tip. Their ventrally oriented mouth (under the overhanging snout)indicates that they grub in the substrate for food. There are many species in the western north Atlantic Ocean, but commercial fishermen target only a few. — Mike Fahay