# A Bostonian Encounters a Sunfish **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 23, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336 "2015-09-23T20:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/1 "2015-09-23T20:28:31Z")
A Boston man recently saw a sunfish in Boston Harbor; his reaction, including misidentifying it about six times, is hilarious. The video at the linked page has positively _Deadwood_-level NSFW language, so I’m going to spoiler it. [Holy shit, Jay!](http://digg.com/2015/boston-man-sunfish?utm_source=digg&utm_medium=twitter) ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/2 "2015-09-23T21:05:42Z")
It’s about 5 min too long, IMHO. Not sure why he was so convinced it was sick/dying, but nice he was moved to try and help. Sort of. Here’s a resource to find a marine animal rescue organization in the US: [http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/report.htm](http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/report.htm) ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/3 "2015-09-24T01:22:47Z")
Sunfish are pretty weird though, when I first saw one I was pretty much the same (minus the swearing and the Bostonian accent). ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/4 "2015-09-24T01:55:45Z")
I love how casually you mention having seen one in person. “First time” indeed. (Sunfish ARE weird, though.) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/5 "2015-09-24T05:25:18Z")
What, they look [pretty normal to me](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrarchidae)! 😛 I first saw a real half-fish ocean one in the wild when I was on a boat for some reason in San Diego. They like flirting with people. Also a dead one. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/6 "2015-09-24T11:56:07Z")
I had to stop watching when they called the Coast Guard. Because I was laughing so hard I needed my inhaler. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/7 "2015-09-24T12:21:21Z")
This has the makings of the next internet meme. Credulous Man: “Holy shit, Jay! What the fuck is that, Jay?! Is that a fucking shoe, Jay? - A fucking SHOE! Am I lying?!” ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/8 "2015-09-24T12:40:08Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > It’s about 5 min too long, IMHO. Not sure why he was so convinced it was sick/dying, but nice he was moved to try and help. Sort of. > > Here’s a resource to find a marine animal rescue organization in the US: [http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/report.htm](http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/report.htm) They thought it was sick/dying because sunfish just sort of float or cruise slowly at the surface, on their side. Which is pretty unusual behavior for any other fish. The first time I saw one we circled it a few times too, just to figure out what the hell it was. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/9 "2015-09-24T12:56:20Z")
I miss Boston, sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/10 "2015-09-24T13:12:29Z")
As a former Bostonian, I found that hilarious. Extra props to [digg.com](http://digg.com) for the great headline: “Extremely Boston Man Can’t Comprehend A Sunfish”. When we visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of my favorite things to do is go to the big tank and watch the sunfish swim around very…slowly… ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/11 "2015-09-24T13:39:40Z")
So… what did they do with it? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bostonian-encounters-a-sunfish/732336/12 "2015-09-24T13:58:09Z")
They said they tried to bring it on board the boat but couldn’t, so they just let it go. They’ve been all over local radio the past few days.