# help me identify this fish **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583 "2010-08-26T20:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/1 "2010-08-26T20:47:59Z")
So my husband was at the local fish store today and they had some lovely red snapper but it was expensive so the fish monger recommended something else. Problem is that the fish monger has a very strong accent and hubby couldn’t really understand what he was saying. The fish is called Red \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ something that sounds like marla. So, we’ve got these lovely filets. They’re quite small as fillets go and we’re going to make fish tacos. But we would love to be able to correctly identify what we’re eating. Any ideas? red marlin doesn’t yield any meaningful results. BTW, if it matters, we’re in NY on Long Island and the fillets are very red, looks a lot like red snapper. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/2 "2010-08-26T21:47:07Z")
Malabar Snapper? > **[This product is no longer available.](https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Malabar_Snapper_Fillet_Portion_Cut_111077229.html)** > > This product is no longer available. It is from Australia though ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/3 "2010-08-26T21:54:23Z")
[http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-fishes.html](http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-fishes.html) Check the reds. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/4 "2010-08-26T23:07:48Z")
Malabar Snapper looks like it. Sounds a little like it. Maybe that’s what the guy meant if he said Red Malabar maybe he really meant malabar snapper. Of course we could always go back there and ask. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/5 "2010-08-26T23:35:51Z")
Ocean Perch is reddish, small and fairly inexpensive, but I’ve never heard it called anything but perch. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/6 "2010-08-26T23:54:03Z")
I don’t claim to be an expert… I just know it was recommended as as a substitute before. Red Snapper is from US waters and has serious restrictions on fishing which drives the price way up. It is also more likely to be found fresh. Malabar comes from Indonesia (sorry, I said Australia earlier) and it isn’t clear but it may be farmed. If it was frozen or previously frozen this is a likely match. If fresh… probably not. Plus, throw in a B and scramble them up and the name you gave matches exactly. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/7 "2010-08-27T13:14:17Z")
Could it be this one: [Red Drum](http://www.fish4fun.com/reddrum.htm) (red rummmmm…red rummmm…) ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/8 "2010-08-29T13:42:54Z")
Thanks all for your suggestions. We have since discovered that it was Red Mullet. Damn tasty too! ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-fish/551583/9 "2010-08-29T14:01:27Z")
Really… doesn’t look very tasty [http://www.ratemymullet.com/show.php?id=18](http://www.ratemymullet.com/show.php?id=18)