what fish is this

[tpw408]

Yes, as someone said already, that is an armored catfish, and smaller specimens (starting at 1 or 2 inches in length) are very common in the aquarium trade. Among fishkeepers, it's called a plecostomus, or "pleco" for short. It's a freshwater tropical fish from Central and South America and commonly kept for its algae-eating ability. They grow steadily and get rough and aggressive as they get larger, and my guess is that its old owner tossed him into that lake when the fish just got too out of hand for his indoor tank. In outdoor conditions, they'll reach sizes of up to two feet. Reminds me of the non-native "oscars" (South American cichlid) that you might find in some Florida waters - also an unwanted transplant from fishkeepers' tanks.
[signature]