Help me ID strange fish I saw while snorkeling

[carolyn22]

I was snorkeling off the beach at Payne's Bay last week and I saw the strangest fish. I was out about 20 feet from the shoreline. It was about 1.5 to 2 feet long, fairly thick, and it's side fins fanned out to the side about 4 to 6 inches or so. The fish was mottled brown and white. It was swimming along the bottom.

 

I've snorkeled a lot of places, but I've never seen a fish like this before. Anyone have any idea what it might have been? I sure wish I had taken a waterproof camera with me. I was swimming out to see the sea turtles, so I was really surprised when I saw this fish!

[Shasa]

HI Carolyn

From what you are describing the fish that you saw is a flying gunard it does not actually fly but they are many here in Barbados. The local name for it is Batfish.

you can google flying gunards and see if that is the fish you saw:).

[carolyn22]

YES!! That's exactly what I saw! Thank you so much for helping me out with this. I was going to drive myself bonkers trying to figure out what type of fish that was.