Can you ID this ugly fish?

I know we have a lot of fishermen (women? fisherpeople?) in our midst. Can anyone ID this fish? It's kinda small, but I'd like to know. This was caught at Topsail.
Just wondering, really.

 

I don't know what it is but it sure is cute!

 

Toadfish or some call it an Oyster toadfish. I call them PITA fish. They're worse than Pinfish for stealing bait.

Here's more info:
http://www.mbl.edu/marine_org/marine_org.php?func=detail&myID=F3069

 

Used to catch a ton of them growing up and surf fishing at Emerald Ilse.

Called them toadfish cause they make a croaking sound.


Almost as bad as shad for stealing bait.

 

You crazy!!

We use to catch those off the pier when we were younger.

 

I think we used to call them croakers.

 

Does this fish puff like a balloon when you bring it on the ground? We get those alot while living in Florida. The picture looks the same and it does make croaking sound. We call it the "puff fish". They're nuisance because they keep stealing our good baits for good fish!

 

It's a dorkfish!!!! :jester: