Exotic deepwater fish caught on the Voyager

A broad alfonsino is latest exotic fish to be caught by an angler aboard the Voyager party boat during a deepwater tilefish trip.

The boat's skipper Capt. Jeff Gutman said the fish was landed on a drift in 900-foot depths in the Baltimore Canyon. He said he had it identified by marine biologists at the Smithsonian Institute.

"We never know what's going to come up from the bottom out there," he said.

He said it was the first time one of these were caught on the Voyager but it's not a rare species. It's found nearly worldwide in temperate and tropical ocean waters. It's a deep water fish that inhabits 500 to 3,000 foot water depths. The fish has large eyes and deep, compressed bodies with a rose to blood red color.

It's often sold under the names red bream and Tasmanian snapper.

Gutman said the fish measured 18 inches from the lower jaw to the fork in the tail.

The alfonsino is just the latest unexpected catch on the boat. Gutman has Dave Arbeitman of the Reel Seat in Brielle logged in on June 13 for reeling up a jeweled jemfish.

Dan Radel: 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com