Whatever the real name its about the ugliest fish in the water.

Dork Fish. Ketchum in Little Bay, Rockport.

to further confuse anybody actually still reading this thread,
that oyster toadfish is sometimes confused with the southern stargazer(aka midshipman) which is slightly bioluminescent and deleivers a pretty healthy shock when handled..........

I did not know that about the midshipman. Have handled a few some years ago in San Diego, but in thinking about it, it wasn't bare-handed.

Now they DO look really awesome in a saltwater aquarium ... especially when you put another fish in with them and they light up - literally, they light the room up! - and attack!

I caught one of these at Matagorda in the ship channel last weekend. Had never seen one and was rather shocked when I pulled it out of the water.

I've heard them called toadfish

from Texas Parks & Wildlife site
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/didyouknow/amazingfish.phtml

Its called "An ugly SOB"

Caught lots of the Dog fish only one of the Sea Robins.

That is a sea robin. Dogfish, are a species of shark. Sculpin are found offshore (also known as a Scorpion fish). And of course the toadfish (ie Oyster Toadfish, Leopard Toadfish, Common Toadfish)have flat heads and dont have sweeping wing like fins such as a sea robin. Local/colloquial names dont mean anything.....you just gotta know your fish. TPWD has plenty of ID books as well as other sources (NOAA, NMFS, and some universities have published books on fish ID.) If your science savvy get a dichotomus key (I think thats how you spell it.) That is used to ID any fish worldwide.

Tight lines, calm seas.

I caught a dogfish once. Looked like a turd with eyes.

Yes! Ugly mother too! If you kiss them between the eyes it'll bring you good luck.