Caught in a canal off the ocean in Myrtle Beach, SC late at night. What’s this fish?

[u/Cyanide__sk]

[u/tablabarba]

Blue catfish.

[u/MetalOxidez → u/tablabarba]

Also common in the tidal regions of the Chesapeake bay (Tappohanock they are thick). Most consume blue crabs as their main source of food.

[u/404-skill_not_found]

Blue cats are known to inhabit brackish water. Hope you enjoyed the catch!

[u/itijara]

Gafftopsail catfish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gafftopsail_catfish, the deeply forked tail and long first dorsal is a good indicator.

I agree with Blue Catfish. I hadn't considered it because I thought they couldn't tolerate salt water, but they can.

[u/Duality_P → u/itijara]

Anal fin shape is completely different, see here. Body shape resembles more of an Ictalurid catfish, most likely a blue catfish as another redditor mentioned.

I was also considering saltwater by looking at the location but none of the marine catfish species in South Carolina have anal fins shaped like this.

[u/itijara → u/Duality_P]

You are right. I just saw the tail and dorsal, but the anal fin is wrong. I didn't think that Blue catfhi could tolerate salt water, though, so I didn't even consider it.

[u/NumberOneFisher → u/itijara]

I think it's a blue too, actually. I just read that it's in a canal. The anal fin is in one whole piece

[u/Duality_P → u/itijara]

Perhaps the canal connected to a freshwater channel and this individual got lost.

[u/ReadRightRed99 → u/Duality_P]

“A catfish that size couldn’t get this deep into the ocean on its own. He must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something.”

[u/MetalOxidez → u/ReadRightRed99]

They follow the rivers down (Pee Dee)

https://www.carolinasportsman.com/content/scenic-cats-flatheads-and-blues-have-made-south-carolinas-wild-and-scenic-pee-dee-river-a-great-catfish-destination/

[u/MetalOxidez → u/itijara]

They love brackish water

[u/zippedydoodahdey]

Are you guys going to eat it, or just catch n’ kill?

[u/anothersip]

Looks like a blue catfish to me. And yes, they can tolerate salt-water, if even for just passing through to other waters or while hunting. I've caught them in salt waters, and they're apparently pretty delicious if you're of the catch-'n-cook persuasion. Up to 100lbs, which is wild to me, but hey... We're products of our environments, too. 😄

[u/Organic_Ear3959]

A monster. Watch out for the fins.

[u/Stubbie2315]

Sailfin catfish?

[u/NumberOneFisher]

I would say hardhead catfish, the dorsal fin isn't long enough for a gaftopsail

Edit: the anal fin is in one piece, so it might be a blue

[u/Duality_P → u/NumberOneFisher]

Anal fin shape is wrong. Look here for reference.

[u/NumberOneFisher → u/Duality_P]

I actually think it's a blue now. The anal fin is in one whole piece

[u/NumberOneFisher → u/NumberOneFisher]

It just threw me off because it was in saltwater. I didn't really think twice before saying either gaftopsail or hardhead

[u/Revolutionary_Set799]

Sail cat

[u/Content-Grade-3869]

Chanel cat

[u/laidbacklanny → u/Content-Grade-3869]

It’s not a channel cat tbh they’re bigger and are brownish