#940: — 03/05  at  09:54 AM
Ugly? Ugly?! It's... differently beautiful.

And it looks like it might be related to the St.-Pierre (Engl. John Dory?). If so, it might just make very good eating.

#941: — 03/05  at  10:06 AM
Ah... a visit to the linked site followed by a quick Google search confirms that the Oreo Dory or Black Oreo (Allocytus niger) above is indeed a relative of the John Dory (Zeus faber), and not a bad thing to have sizzling in your pan either.

#942: PZ Myers — 03/05  at  12:09 PM
I'm just afraid that unless I was making fishhead soup, there wouldn't be much to sizzle in the pan after cleaning this one.

#943: — 03/05  at  07:03 PM
Oh no, I assure you. The John Dory's proportions are slightly, but only very slightly, pan-friendlier. But it yields firm and tasty fillets for all that.

In Spain I have eaten a rascasse, a sort of scorpionfish, unbelievably delicious, though most of it is singularly ugly head (and it's served split along the belly and folded back: it eats well, but certainly doesn't look good.

Alas, the Oreo Dory seems to be limited to New Zealand waters, so you're unlikely to angle one with your bass lure in Minnesota. But, if you do, Google has some tempting-looking recipes.

And don't disdain fish heads either. Simmered gently for about 20 minutes in a half water, half dry white wine mix with a palmful of peppercorns, a small onion and a bay leaf, they make for a superb court-bouillon. Just the thing for poaching a salmon or a couple of trout.

#944: PZ Myers — 03/05  at  10:07 PM
I'm not at all disdainful of fish heads. I come from a family of recent Scandinavian immigrants, after all. Although court-bouillon sounds awfully dainty--I recall my grandfather sucking the eyeballs out, chewing on them for a while, and spitting out the lenses like pretty glass marbles.

#945: — 03/06  at  05:27 AM
Well yes, court-bouillon is a bit dainty, at least compared with sucked-out fish eyeballs. What a time your grandfather would have with the fellow above there!