My experience happened in the Philippines a long time ago, I'd say early 70's. I was very young then, was snorkling in about 8 feet deep water and happened to see a school of black fish swimming near the bottom. They were small, about an inch long, color black, similar to a black Molly and about 100-150 of them. Amazed, I took a deep breath , went under and followed them. As I got closer the school of fish gathered together in a defensive maneuver and formed a ball. I thought that was really cool so I tried to scatter them to see them do it again, but as I touched them while all grouped together , I got stung! No poison or anything like that. Curious, I approached them really close and looked closely, each fish has pointed like wing on each side. They look like an airplane except the wing is pointed and seem round. Tried to look for the kind of fish they are but have not been successful. Did I see a species of fish that no longer exist?

Anyone there have an insight?

It could just be a know but rare species or just a very common one but only found in that area.

Have you been looking into types of flying fish I'm just saying that is the closest thing I have heard of to the physical discription. This sting was it like an electrical shock?
Here is the wikipedia entry on flying fish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exocoetus

That is excatly what I am curious about, does Marine Biologists know if such species exist? Did I see the last of them? Could it be a species that is suppose to be extinct?
Any Marine Biologist out there?

it would help if you had a picture or a drawing of what you saw, otherwise it was probably a flying fish.

No, I have seen flying fish before and the behavior of the fish I saw is not that of a Flying fish. Flying fish jumps out of the water and glides on air to escape predators. The sting is like that of a needle, no electric shock or some poison on the tip. I would not say it is needle sharp for I did not bleed or anything like that, I was more of surprised, like I ended up touching a porcupine I guess.
By the way, what I don't know is if those stings extend only when they get into their defensive position for I could not watch them closely when they are swimming. Most probably they do fold for it will slow them down if they are pemanently extended.

I would not remember the actual shape of it's head or tail for what got my attention when I looked at it closely was those extended stings on each side. A Black Molly is the closes thing I can think of with regards to it's size and color, but it could be just a little bigger. I really don't think it is a Flying fish for a Flying fish would have gone up and not stayed under when being pursued. I have seen flying fish before and those things did not look at all it can be use for gliding.
And by the way this is not so far from the coast, maybe just a good 50 yards and by the corals. I know Fying Fish lives by the open water.

Maybe some sort of Tang (surgeon fish). they come in all colors and sizes and have barbs on both sides of their bodys, right before the tail.

Any man who disputes with a Filipino about fish is a fool-the good folk of the Islands know the sea!
Many fish have defensive spines or barbs to make predators disgorge them-I'm just glad it wasn't a venomous spine.
A call to the ichtheology department of the nearest University, or even the local governments fishery experts will quickly yield results.
Be careful of marine life, many very small creatures have dreadfully strong poisons, deadly to humans-including the blue ringed octopus, some cone shells, box jellyfish, the stonefish, the lion fish and many others.
Look, but do NOT touch!

The fish I saw is torpedo shape, and definitely not a surgeon fish. I have seen surgeon fish and even caught them while fishing. Also, as far as I know Surgeonfish don't swim in school and they are much bigger.

Have done some searching before, just no luck. But as you can see I still get curious about it. I simply have not seen it any Discovery, Nova or marine life documentary of such fish, specially the defensive traits that I witnessed.
Maybe thru the internet one day someone will have an answer.
Thanks for the precaution, have learned thru experience. Got stung by a sea urchin before. YEOW!!! it hurts!

exactly how big were the fish?

About an inch or an inch and a half long, torpedo shape. Circumference is that of a pencil.

Defensive swarms are not unusual fish behavior, it confuses predators.
Try talking to the nearest university-if it is a new species, they'll want to go hot foot and classify it.
If it's a common creature, they'll know it.
They're usually glad to help.

Yet more reasons to visit the Phillipines.

You realize they actually SWIM, they don't just fly away when ever they feel like it. And those wings are pretty sharp when tucked in, ready to propell the fish.....or maybe ya mistook a rock as a swimming group of fish....as in, you jabbed your finger on a nearby rock.

possibly a fire fish?

I know it's white, but once again, they come in an array of colors


or possibly a triggerfish?

If you read my start up columm, I said I saw a SCHOOL OF FISH, means fish of same species SWIMMING together. And I did look at them up close when they were grouped together. Nope, I was not on drugs or anything like that if that is what ya thinking now. There is fish named Stone Fish that resembles a rock, stays on the bottom and had it been one, I would be in real trouble for it is highly poisonous.

Unfortunately either resembles it. The shape and look of the fish is nothing that unique, like I said it is the grouping together to form of a spiked ball that got me so intrigued.

sorry then. Im out of ideas. is there a chance you could go find it again? have you been to websites looking for it? I'm very curious as to what is this fish.

The only fish with spines like you describe are catfish...Marine catfish are not very social also...Other than that, I doubt any other fish could do that.

I also saw a weird fish In New York. It was the shape of a sting ray or horshoe crab(sort of between), was swimming very close to shore, probably swam, I didnt see if it had feet and there were horshoe crabs everywhere. However, the eyes were sticking up, unlike a horshoe crab and it had a strange yellow color and seemed to have bumpy skin. It would seem like rusty metal if it had no eyes and wasnt moving. Anyone know about this one?

Probably a skate or ray...

I never said you were on drugs....then again, why would you think i guessed that?

That size and shape... kinda reminds me of a mini barracuda. Mabey there related species?

Could be a Sturgeon?

Maybe, I looked at a picture of the Yellowtail Barracuda, suppose to be the smaller species of Barracuda. Shape is quite close, except for the fact that they swim in school too, the behavior I witnessed was not that of a barracuda. Barracuda are fast swimmers, I was able to follow these small fish with the aid of swim fin though.

The coral area where I saw it unfortnately has been ruined now, quite sad really for it was quite a nice snorkling site. Yes, did research before. Would be nice if I get to know what species of fish I saw, quite unique really.

Try using a Field Guide-the internet has spoiled people, they forget there are books.
The guide takes you down a sort of outline, by eliminating or confirming features, until you get a result.
And don't be shy about talking to the nearest University-they love discoveries.
Be careful, amigo, there are some very bad venomous creatures out that way, especially the cone shells, they are very deadly, and quick about it, too!

I've only seen one fish alive in the ocean, and it looked nothing like it. Wrong ocean anyway tho.

Meybe its extinct now, because if you went back to seee it with no luck and now its habitat is destroyed, it all points to extinction...

Good point.

It's too bad you didn't have anything to take a photo of this..It sound's like a great thing to watch...

Do those live in the shallows ofNew York? And by shallows I mean barely over myfeet.

Possibly....Stingrays inhabit beaches all to commonly.

Yes, it was quite amazing. Somethign that I'll never forget, maybe until the day that someone out there tell me and show me what Species of fish I saw.

As said before, I would speak with someone at a university.....even send out an email or letter to a department.



My recomendation or hunch is that the circular formation and way they behaved in the school is the biggest clue for finding out what they were

Oh and I found this which has a link to email a reference librarian.
Remember Libraries? The one by my house has no freakin books

Yeah, go to a university, I'm intrested now.

do you have a barnes and nobles by you? they have an excellent inventory of species guides... might be worth checking out!

Yes, I would go check it out.
I would certainly post if ever I get an answer, and maybe others who had interest would be sucessful in their hunt.

Sounds like a Saltwater catfish to me...A sailfin or Gallopsail?

Well only about 5-7 percent of the ocean has been explored. Maybe you found a new species!

MUCH more...

Ahh - good call, just what I was thinking I have seen them here on the coast, very popular in our estuarine system. They too ball into what is easily mistaken for a larger animals, fit the description of a Molly and have a sting.
Little kids catch them in nets and thrown them back. One scoop can net 20 or 30 of them. No good for anything like bait or eating.

Frogfish, I'd say you've called it.

I looked it up. They are found in Indo Pacific water, black when they are young, they do swim in school until they mature , they have spine on it's dorsal fin. I think our friend here Frogfish have identified it alright.

LOL that is right so putangenamo

What had you eaten that day?

A necroposter. With jam.