The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new species state record for a Unicorn Filefish (Aluterus monoceros).
Jim Bickerstaff of Southport caught the 6-pound, 1.6-ounce fish on Sept. 29, 2026. The fish measured 25.5 inches total length (from the tip of the nose to the stretched end of the tail) with a girth of 17 inches.
Prior to this certification, there was no state record for this species. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) World Record weighed in at 9 pounds, 7 ounces and was landed in 2023 out of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
Bickerstaff was fishing aboard the Oak Island Fishing Charter approximately 45 miles offshore of Southport in 140-feet of water when he landed the fish. He was using squid for bait on 80-pound test line, with an Ugly Stick rod and a Penn Fathom conventional reel.
The Unicorn Filefish gets its common name from its unusual appearance, including its elongated, pointed snout and upright first dorsal spine. Unicorn Filefish have a truly expansive range and are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, including the western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Argentina, as well as parts of the eastern Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Indian Oceans.
For more information on state record fish, go to the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or email the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff.