Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish

sh (the otherfish are one of two groups of jawless fiHagbeing lampreys), which are the most primitive true verte-brates. They are members of the Petromyzontidae family.sh are similar to eels in form,fiFishlike vertebrates, jawless brous skeleton that has no bones.fiwith a cartilaginous or They have no paired limbs and no developed jaws or bonyteeth. Their extremely slimy skin lacks scales.The repulsive-looking hag is the most primitive of all living fish, resembling an outsize, slimy worm. The hagis exclusively marine, and only one family, Myxinidae, isknown. The hag has the ability to discharge slime from itsmucous sacs, which are far out of proportion to its size.shfiTheir habit of feeding primarily on dead or disabled shermenfish doubly unattractive. Commercial fimakes hagconsider them a great nuisance because they penetrate therst the intes-fish, eating out fibodies of hooked or gillnetted tines and then the meat, leaving nothing but skin andsh bores into the cavity of its victim byfibones. The hagmeans of a rasplike tongue. Unlike many lampreys (see),itis not a parasite. Hags’ eyes are not visible externally, andthey are considered blind. Food is apparently detected byscent, and large numbers of hags are often taken in deep-sh.fiset eel pots baited with dead The hag can be differentiated from its close relative thelamprey, by the following characteristics: The hag hasn, eyesfiprominent barbels on its snout, no separate dorsal that are not visible externally, a nasal opening at the tip ofthe snout, and a mouth that is not funnelshaped or disklike.The largest hags are 2 feet or more in length. They rangethe cold, deep waters, and at least one specimen wasrecorded at a depth of 4,380 feet.98shfiHagHagfishshfiAtlantic HagMyxine glutinosa

A member of the Merlucciidae family, the Pacific hake issometimes classified as a member of the Gadidae family andthus included with codfish. It is the only representative ofthe hake family in the Pacific. Common in commercial andsport catches because of its abundance, the Pacific hake isnot generally sought for its food value, but it is made intofish meal. Because it does not remain fresh very long, oncecaught, it must be immediately chilled or the flesh becomessoft and undesirable.Many Pacific hake are caught incidentally by anglers fish-ing for salmon or bottom fish and are generally discarded. Identification.The body of the Pacific hake is elongate,slender, and moderately compressed. The head is elongateand the mouth large, with strong, sharp teeth. The thinscales fall off readily. Its coloring is gray to dusky brown,with brassy overtones and black speckles on the back.The elongated shape, the notched second dorsal andanal fin, and the coloration separate the Pacific hake fromother similar fish in its family.Size.The Pacific hake can grow to 3 feet in length. The all-tackle record is 2 pounds, 2 ounces.Life history/Behavior.Spawning occurs in the winter orfrom February through April, beginning at 3 to 4 years ofage, off Southern California and Baja California, Mexico.After spawning, the adults migrate northward to Oregon,Washington, and Canada and return to their spawningareas in the fall. This species is classified as demersal but islargely pelagic in oceanic and coastal areas. Adults exist inlarge schools in waters overlying the continental shelf,except during the spawning season, when they are severalhundred miles seaward.Food.The Pacific hake feeds on a variety of small fish,shrimp, and squid.OTHER NAMESPacific whiting, whitefish,haddock, butterfish, Cali-fornia hake, popeye, silverhake, ocean whitefish;French:merlu du Pacifiquenord;Spanish:merluza delPacífico norte.Distribution.This fishoccurs in the Gulf of Califor-nia (isolated population)and from Magdalena Bay,Baja California, to Alaska.Habitat.The Pacific hakeprefers a deep, sandy environment and has beenreported in depths exceed-ing 2,900 feet.Hake, Pacific99Hake, PacificMerluccius productus

Red hake are somewhat of an incidental catch for deep-water anglers and have become less significant to commer-cial trawlers. Although not considered overexploited, redhake are now caught commercially at much lower levelsthan previously.Identification.The body of the red hake is elongate withtwo dorsal fins—the second one long—and one long analfin. Its coloration is variable, but the sides are usually reddishand often dark or mottled. The fins are not dark-edged, asthey are in some other hake, and the pelvic fin rays areshorter than those of other hake.Size/Age.The maximum length reached by red hake isapproximately 50 centimeters, or about 19 ⁄ inches. Their1 2maximum age is reported to be about 12 years, but few fishsurvive beyond 8 years of age. The all-tackle world record is7 pounds, 15 ounces, which is their known maximum size;the common size is roughly 2 pounds.Life history/Behavior.Red hake winter in the deepwaters of the Gulf of Maine and along the outer continen-tal shelf and slope south and southwest of Georges Bank.Spawning occurs from May through November, and signif-icant spawning areas are located on the southwest part ofGeorges Bank and in southern New England south of Mon-tauk Point, Long Island.Food and feeding habits.Red hake feed primarily oncrustaceans, but adult red hake also feed extensively onfish.OTHER NAMESsquirrel hake, ling; French:merluche éureuil;Spanish:locha roja.Distribution.Red hake arefound from the Gulf of St.Lawrence to North Carolinabut are most abundantbetween Georges Bank andNew Jersey. Research frombottom-trawl surveys indi-cates that red hake have abroad geographic anddepth distribution through-out the year, undergoingextensive seasonal migra-tions. Two stocks have beenassumed, divided north andsouth in the central GeorgesBank region.Habitat.These fish gener-ally occupy deep water oversoft or sandy bottoms.Although juvenile fish mayfrequent shallow wateralong the coast, adults typically migrate to deeperwater, generally between300 and 400 feet deep,although reports indicatethat they exist at depthsgreater than 1,650 feet.100Hake, RedHake, RedUrophycis chuss

A member of the Merlucciidae family, the silver hake is pri-marily known as whiting. An aggressive fish and a swiftswimmer, it is a good species for sportfishing.Identification.The body of the whiting is long and slen-der, with a flattened head, a large mouth, and strong, sharpteeth. The second dorsal fin and the anal fin are deeplyindented, giving the fin a divided appearance. The first finis short and high. Its coloring is dark gray above, with iri-descent purple hues that fade to silvery white on the belly.It has only two dorsal fins and one anal fin and lacks a chinbarbel.Size/Age.The whiting can reach 2 ⁄ feet in length and a1 2weight of 8 pounds, although the average catch is a fish ofless than 14 inches; fish exceeding 4 pounds are rare. Agesup to 15 years have been reported.Spawning behavior.Spawning occurs in the late springand the early summer, when whiting release their buoyanteggs at the surface, allowing them to drift with the current.Future stocks depend on the weather; if the wind blows theeggs away from inshore, very few will survive, having noth-ing to feed on. Peak spawning occurs earlier in the southernstock (May and June) than in the northern stock (July andAugust). Important spawning areas include the coastalregion of the Gulf of Maine from Cape Cod to GrandManan Island, southern and southeastern Georges Bank,and southern New England south of Martha’s Vineyard.Food and feeding habits.Whiting feed aggressively inlarge groups on herring, silversides, menhaden, and youngmackerel, and on squid and other invertebrates. They havebeen known to strand themselves on shoals and in shallowwaters during the height of their feeding activity afterspawning.OTHER NAMESAtlantic hake, whiting,frostfish; French: merluargenté;Spanish:merluzanorte-americana.Distribution.Found fromthe Newfoundland bankssouthward to the vicinity ofSouth Carolina, the whitingis encountered in largenumbers between CapeSable and New York. In U.S.waters, two stocks havebeen identified, based onmorphological differences;one extends from the Gulf ofMaine to northern GeorgesBank, and the second occursfrom southern Georges Bankto the mid-Atlantic area.Habitat.Whiting primarilyinhabit the cool, deepwaters of the continentalshelf. Adults stay in deepwater offshore but makeseasonal onshore-offshoremigrations. They range fromnear the surface to over 600feet deep. They prefer sandand pebble bottoms andtemperatures between 36°and 52°F. Whiting movetoward shallow water in thespring, spawn, and returnto the wintering areas in theautumn.Hake, Silver101Hake, SilverMerluccius bilinearis

Halfbeaks are closely related to flyingfish and needlefish.These sparkling, silvery fish travel in schools and are abun-dant in warm seas. They are important food fish for pelagicspecies, especially for billfish, and are used as rigged trollingbait for big-game fish encountered in blue water.A halfbeak’s body is elongated, rounded, and flattenedfrom side to side only in the tail region. The dorsal and theanal fins are located far to the rear and directly oppositeeach other. In halfbeaks, only the lower jaw is long; theupper jaw is of normal length. Halfbeaks commonly leap orscoot rapidly across the surface, with only their tail vibratingin the water.The balao (Hemiramphus balao)ranges from New York tothe Gulf of Mexico and southward to Brazil, including theCaribbean. It averages 8 to 10 inches in length and cangrow to 16 inches. The ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis)is common off the Florida coast and in the Caribbean, trav-eling northward along the eastern coast and occasionally asfar north as Massachusetts in summer. It ranges as far southas Brazil, averages 6 to 10 inches in length, and is closelyrelated to the longfin halfbeak (H. saltator)of the Pacific.The halfbeak (Hyporhamphus unifasciatus),which attains12 inches, lives in the same area of the Atlantic as the bally-hoo but occurs also in the Pacific from Point Conceptionsouthward to Peru, including the Galápagos Islands. Therelated California halfbeak (H. rosae)is smaller, rarely morethan 6 inches long.Included among the Pacific halfbeaks off the coast ofNorth America is the ribbon halfbeak (Euleptorhamphusviridis),which grows to as much as 18 inches and has longpectoral fins, and the smaller flying halfbeak (E. velox),which ranges from the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil in the west-ern Atlantic.OTHER NAMESFrench:demi-bec;Spanish:aguja, agujeta, saltador.102Halfbeaks and BalaoHalfbeaks and BalaoBalaoHemiramphus balao HalfbeakHyporhamphus unifasciatus

The Atlantic halibut is among the largest bony fish in theworld and a member of the Pleuronectidae family of right-eyed flounder. The flounder has a unique type of matura-tion from larvae to adult stage, in which one eye migratesto the opposite side of the head.The Atlantic halibut is a highly prized table fish, withwhite, tender flesh, but it is such a deep-dwelling fish that itis seldom deliberately pursued by anglers. It may be caughtincidentally by anglers fishing for other deep-ocean dwellers.It has historically been an extremely important marketspecies, but it has been greatly overfished by commercialinterests, who primarily catch it by bottom longlining.Identification.The body is wide and somewhat flattened,rimmed by long dorsal and anal fins. The lateral line, whichhas a scale count of about 160, arches strongly above thepectoral fin. The dorsal fin has 98 to 106 rays and the analfin has 73 to 80 rays. The teeth are equally well equipped inboth sides of the jaw. Its coloring is usually pearly white andfeatureless on the blind side. Some specimens, nicknamed“cherry-bellies,” have a reddish tint on the blind side.Size.Atlantic halibut weighing between 300 and 700pounds have been reported, and the all-tackle rod-and-reelrecord is 355 pounds.Spawning behavior.Spawning occurs from late winterthrough early spring in deep water. The eastern Atlantic fishspawn from March through May. A female can release up to2 million eggs, and the fish move shallower after spawning.Food and feeding habits.The Atlantic halibut is a vora-cious feeder, pursuing its prey in the open water. It foragesprimarily on fish, including cod and their relatives—oceanperch, herring, skates, mackerel, and other flounder. It alsoeats crabs, mussels, lobsters, and clams.OTHER NAMEScommon halibut, gianthalibut, right-eyed floun-der, chicken halibut (under20 pounds); Dutch: heil-bot;Finnish:ruijanpallas;French:flétan de l’Atlan-tique;Icelandic:heilagfiski;Japanese:ohyô;Norwe-gian:kveite;Portuguese:alabote;Spanish:fletán delAtlántico, hipogloso;Swedish:hälleflundra,helgeflundra.Distribution.The Atlantichalibut occurs in NorthAtlantic waters; in NorthAmerica it ranges fromLabrador to Virginia. Thisspecies does not occur innear-freezing polar waters,as many people believe;there, it is replaced by theGreenland halibut (Rein-hardtius hippoglossoides).Habitat.A deep-waterspecies, the Atlantic halibutseldom enters water shallower than about 200feet and is commonly foundto 3,000 feet. It inhabitscold (40° to 50°F) waterover sand, gravel, or claybottoms.Halibut, Atlantic103Halibut, AtlanticHippoglossus hippoglossus

The California halibut is a large flatfish and a member of theBothidae family, or left-eyed flounder. It is the largest andmost abundant flatfish within its range, although it is greatlysmaller than the more northerly Pacific halibut. It is animportant commercial quarry and sportfish, one that is oftendeliberately sought by anglers and valued for its excellentfirm, white flesh.Identification.The body of the California halibut isoblong and compressed. The head is small and the mouthlarge. Although a member of the left-eyed flounder family,about 40 percent of California halibut have their eyes on theright side. The color is dark brown to black on the eyed sideand white on the blind side. The gill rakers are slender andnumerous, totaling about 29 on the first arch. Its numerousteeth, its very large mouth, and a high arch in the middle ofthe “top” side above the pectoral fin make it easily distin-guishable from other flatfish.Size.The largest California halibut recorded was 5 feetlong and weighed 72 pounds. The all-tackle rod-and-reelrecord weighed 59 pounds, 9 ounces. Females grow larger,live longer, and are more numerous than males. In Califor-nia, these fish average between 8 and 20 pounds; 20-pounders are considered large, and fish exceeding 30pounds are trophies.Spawning behavior.Males mature when 2 or 3 years old,but females do not mature until age 4 or 5. A 5-year-old fishmay be anywhere from 11 to 17 inches long. Spawningtakes place in relatively shallow water from April throughJuly, and spawning fish feed actively.Food and feeding habits.These halibut feed primarily onanchovies and similar small fish, often well off the bottomand during the day, although they also consume squid,crustaceans, and mollusks.OTHER NAMESflatty, flattie, fly swatter(small), barn door (large),alabato, Monterey halibut,chicken halibut, southernhalibut, California floun-der, bastard halibut, port-sider; Spanish: lenguado deCalifornia.Distribution.This speciesoccurs from Magdalena Bay,Baja California, Mexico, tothe Quillayute River, BritishColumbia. A separate popu-lation exists in the Gulf ofCalifornia in Mexico.Habitat.Found mostlyover sandy bottoms, Califor-nia halibut appear beyondthe surf line and in baysand estuaries. They rangefrom near shore to 600 feetdeep but are most com-monly caught in 60 to 120feet of water. They are notknown to make extensivemigrations.104Halibut, CaliforniaHalibut, CaliforniaParalichthys californicus

c waters andfish in Pacifiatflc halibut is the largest fiThe Pacish. It is a member of thefione of the world’s largest bony family Pleuronectidae, or right-eyed flounder. Since thec halibut populations have prospered, provid-fi1980s, Pacishing from Oregon to Alaska.fiing excellent Identification.The halibut usually is dextral; that is, botheyes are on the right side of the head. Its coloration variesfrom olive to dark brown or black with lighter, irregularsh, the averagefiatflblotches. More elongate than other c halibut’s body is about one-third itsfiwidth of the Pacilength. The mouth is large, extending to the lower eye. Thesmall, smooth scales are well buried in the skin, and the lat-n. Thefieral line has a pronounced arch above the pectoral tail is crescent-shaped, longer at the tips than in the middle,sh.fiatflwhich distinguishes it from most other Size.A typical sport-caught Pacific halibut is 28 to 50inches long, weighing 10 to perhaps 60 pounds. Rod-and-reel records include several halibut in excess of 400 pounds(the all-tackle record is 459 pounds), and 500-poundershave been caught commercially. The largest specimens arefemales, as males seldom top 90 pounds.Life history.c OceanfiSpawning occurs in the North Paciand the Bering Sea during the winter. The eggs and the lar-oat freely in the ocean current for 6 months, settling toflvae the bottom in shallow, inshore waters, and make a coun-c, reaching thefiterclockwise migration through the Paciplace where they were spawned by adulthood.Food and feeding habits.Halibut lie on bottom waitingfor tidal currents to wash food within striking range. How-ever, they are strong swimmers and will leave the bottom tosh, such as herring and sand lance. Theyfifeed on pelagic will also inhabit virtually any place that has an abundance ofsh, or other food.ficrabs, squid, octopus, cod, pollack, sableOTHER NAMESgiant halibut, northernhalibut, hali (Canada),barn door; Japanese: ohyô;Portuguese:alabote doco;fiPaciSpanish:etán delflco.fiPaciDistribution.c hal-fiPaciibut are found on the conti-nental shelf of the Northc Ocean and havefiPacibeen recorded along theNorth American coast fromcentral California to Nome,Alaska. They live on or nearthe bottom and have beentaken as deep as 3,600 feet,although most are caughtduring the summer, whenthey are at depths of 75 to750 feet. They generallymove back into deeperwater in the fall and thewinter.Habitat.Preferring coolwater (37° to 46°F), halibutare most commonly foundwhere the bottom is com-posed of cobble, gravel, andsand, especially near theedges of underwaterplateaus and breaklines.cfiHalibut, Paci105Halibut, PacificHippoglossus stenolepis

Herring and their relatives are among the most important ofcommercial fish worldwide. They are also extremely impor-tant as forage fish for a wide variety of predatory fish, seabirds, seals, and other carnivores. In the past, some coun-tries depended entirely on the herring (or related species)fishery for their economic survival. Wars have been wagedover the rights to particularly productive herring grounds,which are found in all seas except the very cold waters ofthe Arctic and the Antarctic.Most members of the herring family are strictly marine.Some are anadromous and spawn in freshwater, and a fewspecies (those of freshwater origin) never go to sea. Herringtypically travel in extensive schools; in the ocean, suchschools may extend for miles, which makes harvesting pos-sible in great quantities.Herring are plankton feeders, screening their foodthrough numerous gill rakers. As such, and because they aregenerally small, herring are seldom a deliberate quarry ofrecreational anglers (American and hickory shad are notableexceptions). They are primarily used as bait, either in piecesor whole, by freshwater and saltwater anglers for variousgame species.Prominent species with the herring name include Atlanticherring, Pacific herring, blueback herring, and skipjack her-ring. At least two members of the herring family, the alewifeand the blueback herring, are collectively referred to as riverherring.There is minor angling effort for some species, such asblueback and skipjack herring, when they ascend coastalrivers en masse to spawn; this fishery is generally gearedmore toward procuring food or bait than to pure anglingsport. They may, however, be caught on light spoons andsmall jigs or flies. When massed, they are also taken bysnagging (where legal) and in cast nets. Coastal herring aresometimes caught, snagged, or taken by a cast net, mainlyfor use as bait.106HerringHerringAmerican ShadAtlantic HerringAlewifeThreadfin Shad

A member of the Clupeidae family of herring, the Atlanticherring is in the Guinness Book of World Recordsas theworld’s most numerous fish and is certainly one of theworld’s most valuable fish. It is used by humans in a host ofways and is extremely important as forage for predatorspecies.Identification.The Atlantic herring is silvery with a bluishor greenish-blue back and an elongated body. The dorsal finbegins at about the middle of the body, and there are 39 to47 weakly developed ventral scutes. At the midline of thebelly are scales that form a sharp-edged ridge. Teeth on the roof of the mouth distinguish the Atlantic herring fromthe similar alewife.Size.Ordinarily less than a foot long, the Atlantic herringcan grow to 18 inches. The all-tackle world record is a 1-pound, 1-ounce fish; a 3-pound, 12-ounce record stands forthe skipjack herring.Life history/Behavior.Atlantic herring usually spawn inthe fall, although in any particular month of the year thereis at least one group of Atlantic herring that moves intoshallow coastal waters to spawn. (Blueback and skipjackherring, which are anadromous, spawn in coastal rivers inthe spring.) Almost 5 inches long by the end of their firstyear, Atlantic herring nearly double their length in 2 yearsand reach maturity at age 4 or 5. Schools of herring maycontain billions of individuals. In the western Atlantic, her-ring migrate from feeding grounds along the Maine coastduring the autumn to the southern New England–mid-Atlantic region during the winter, with larger individualstending to migrate greater distances.Food.The Atlantic herring feeds on small planktonic cope-pods in its first year, graduating to mainly copepods.OTHER NAMESherring; Danish: Atlantisksild, sild;Finnish:silakka,silli;French:hareng del’Atlantique;German:allec,hering;Norwegian: sild;Polish:sledz;Spanish:arenque del Atlántico.Distribution.Atlanticherring are the most abun-dant pelagic fish in cool,northern Atlantic waters. Inthe western Atlantic Ocean,they are widely distributedin continental shelf watersfrom Labrador to Cape Hat-teras and have been sepa-rated by biologists into Gulfof Maine and Georges Bankstocks. A related and similarspecies is the blueback her-ring(Alosa aestivalis),which ranges from NovaScotia to Florida. The skip-jack herring (A. chrysochlo-ris)occurs in the Gulf ofMexico from Texas to theFlorida Panhandle andascends the Mississippi Riverand some of its tributaries.Habitat.This speciesschools in coastal watersand has been recorded intemperatures of 34° to 64°F.Herring, Atlantic107Herring, AtlanticClupea harengus

A member of the Clupeidae family of herring, an importantfood for many predatory fish, and the principal food ofsalmon, the Pacific herring also has many uses for humanconsumption. Sold fresh, dried/salted, smoked, canned, andfrozen, the Pacific herring is commercially caught in the east-ern Pacific for its roe; it is marketed in Asia as an extremelyexpensive delicacy called kazunokokombu,in which the roeare salted and sold on beds of kelp. Pacific herring may beused as bait by anglers but are not a sportfishing target,although they may be caught (or snagged) by coastalanglers who seek to use fresh specimens as live bait.Identification.Similar to the Atlantic herring, the Pacificherring is silvery with a bluish or greenish-blue back and anelongated body.Size.The Pacific herring can grow to 18 inches in length.Life history/Behavior.Depending on latitude, matureadults migrate inshore from December through July, enter-ing estuaries to breed. These herring do not show strongnorth-south migrations, with populations being localized.Like other herring, they school in great numbers.Food and feeding habits.Pacific herring larvae feed onplanktonic foods, including ostracods, small copepods,small fish larvae, euphausids, and diatoms. Juveniles feed oncrustaceans, as well as on small fish, marine worms, and lar-val clams. Adults feed on larger crustaceans and small fish.OTHER NAMESherring, north Pacificherring; French: harengPacifique;Japanese:nishin;Spanish:arenque delPacifico.Distribution.In the west-ern Pacific Ocean, Pacificherring are found fromAnadyr Bay and the easterncoasts of Kamchatka,including possibly the Aleut-ian Islands, southward toJapan and the west coast ofKorea. In the eastern PacificOcean, they are found fromKent Peninsula and theBeaufort Sea southward tonorthern Baja California.Habitat.Pacific herringinhabit coastal waters, andduring the summer of theirfirst year, the young appearin schools on the surface. Inthe fall, schools disappearas the young move to deepwater, in depths of up to1,558 feet, to stay there forthe next 2 to 3 years.108Herring, PacificHerring, PacificClupea pallasii

A grouper of the Serranidae family, the red hind is an impor-tant fish in the Caribbean, where large numbers are caughtevery year. It has excellent white, flaky meat that is usuallymarketed fresh.Identification.As with all grouper, the red hind has astout body and a large mouth. It is very similar to the rockhind in appearance, although the red hind is slightly morereddish brown in color, with dark red-brown spots aboveand pure red spots below over a whitish background. It dif-fers from the rock hind in having no spots on the tail or thedorsal fin and no dark splotches on the back or the tail. Theouter edges of the soft dorsal, the caudal, and the anal finsare blackish and are sometimes also edged in white. It canpale or darken to blend with surroundings.Size/Age.The red hind can grow to 2 feet, although it isusually less than 15 inches long; most 12-inch and largerfish are males. Although it can reach 10 pounds, the redhind is rarely larger than 4 pounds in weight; the all-tackleworld record is for a 6-pound, 1-ounce fish taken off Florida.The red hind can live for 17 years or longer.Spawning behavior.Spawning takes place from Marchthrough July in 68° to 82°F waters at depths of 100 to 130feet. At this time, mature fish of age 3 and older form largeclusters over rugged bottoms. The female lays pelagic eggsin numbers between 90,000 and more than 3 million.Some fish undergo sexual inversion.Food and feeding habits.Red hind feed on various bot-tom animals, such as crabs, crustaceans, fish, and octopus;they hide in holes and crevices and capture prey by ambushor after a short chase.OTHER NAMESstrawberry grouper, speck-led hind; French: méroucouronné;Spanish:merocolorado, tofia.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, red hind occurfrom North Carolina andBermuda south to theBahamas, the southern Gulfof Mexico, and to Brazil.They are common in theCaribbean, occasional in theBahamas and Florida, andrare north of Florida.Habitat.Red hind are oneof the most commongrouper in the West Indies,inhabiting shallow inshorereefs and rocky bottoms atdepths of 10 to 160 feet. InFlorida and the Bahamasthey are usually found inquieter, deeper waters. Redhind are solitary and territo-rial fish, often found driftingor lying motionless alongthe bottom, camouflaged bytheir surroundings.Hind, Red109Hind, RedEpinephelus guttatus

A grouper in the Serranidae family, the rock hind is found inthe same range as the red hind and is also good table fare.Divers can often distinguish the two species by their behav-ior alone, as the rock hind is reclusive and shies away fromhumans.Identification.The rock hind has an overall tan to olive-brown cast, with many large, reddish to dark dots coveringthe entire body and the fins. Similar in appearance to thered hind, it has one to four distinctive pale or dark splotchesalong its back, appearing below the middle of the dorsal fin,behind the dorsal fin on the caudal peduncle, and belowthe spinous and the soft parts of the dorsal fin. The tail andthe anal fins have broad, whitish outer edges but lack theadditional blackish margins found on the dorsal, the caudal,and the anal fins of the red hind. The rock hind can pale ordarken dramatically.Size.The rock hind can reach 2 feet in length; the all-tackle world-record fish is a 9-pounder.Food and feeding habits.Ordinarily feeding on crabs andfish, rock hind are said to feed on juvenile triggerfish andyoung sea turtles at Ascension Island.OTHER NAMESgrouper, jack, rock cod;French:mérou oualioua;Portuguese:garoupa-pintada;Spanish:merocabrilla.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, rock hind occurfrom Massachusetts tosoutheastern Brazil, includ-ing Bermuda, the Bahamas,the eastern Caribbean, and the northern Gulf ofMexico; they are rare northof Florida.Habitat.Solitary fish, rockhind inhabit rocky or roughinshore regions in shallowwaters, although they occa-sionally inhabit deep reefs.They are often found drift-ing near the bottom.110Hind, RockHind, RockEpinephelus adscensionis

A deep-bodied amberjack and a member of the Carangidaefamily, the almaco jack is an excellent and widely distrib-sh, although it sometimesfine food fish. It is a fiuted sporthas tapeworms in the caudal peduncle area, which can becut away, and it has been associated with ciguatera poison-ing in the Caribbean.Identification.ns can be a uniformfiThe body and the dark brown, a dark bluish-green, or a metallic bronze orgray, with the lower sides and the belly a lighter shade,sometimes with a lavender or brassy cast. A diagonal blackband usually extends from the lip through each eye to theshfin; young fiupper back at the beginning of the dorsal ve or six bars. The front lobes of thefisometimes display ns are high and elongated and havefidorsal and the anal deeply sickle-shaped outer edges. There are seven spines inn. The almaco jack is similar in appearancefirst dorsal fithe attenedflto the greater amberjack but has a deeper, more body than the greater amberjack and a more pointed head;the greater amberjack has a more elongated body, a lightern.fiband, and a shorter front dorsal Size/Age.A large species, the almaco jack is known togrow to 3 feet in the Atlantic, although it is commonlybetween 1 and 2 feet long and weighs less than 20 pounds.c, it grows to almost 5 feet and 130 pounds butfiIn the Paciusually weighs 50 to 60 pounds. In the Atlantic, the all-sh taken off Bermuda infitackle world record is a 78-pound c all-tackle world record is a 132-fi1990, whereas the Pacish taken off Baja California in 1964.fipound Spawning.Almaco jacks spawn offshore from springthrough fall.Food.An offshore predator, the almaco jack feeds mainlysh but also on invertebrates.fion OTHER NAMESamberjack, greater amber-n yellowtail;fijack, longAfrikaans:langvin-geelstert;Arabic:gazala;French:seriole limon;Hawaiian:kahala;Japanese:songoro,hirenaga-kanpachi;Malay/Indonesian:cher-min, aji-aji;Portuguese:arabaiana, xaréu limao;Samoan:tavai, tafala, palu-kata;Spanish:pez limon,palometa, medregal,huayaipe, fortuno, cavallas.Distribution.Foundaround the world, almacojacks occur in the easternc from Southern Cali-fiPacifornia to Peru, including theGulf of California and theGalápagos Islands. In thewestern Atlantic, almacojacks range from Cape Codto northern Argentina.Habitat.A warmwaterspecies, almaco jacks preferdeep, open water andinhabit the outer slopes ofreefs, but they rarely swimover reefs or near shore.sh are often associ-fiYoung oating objectsflated with and sargassum. Almacojacks often travel alone andoccasionally in schools atdepths of 50 to 180 feet.Jack, Almaco111Jack, AlmacoSeriola rivoliana

A member of the Carangidae family, the bar jack is smalland more like a saltwater panfish, but it is a scrappy speciesand a good food fish.Identification.The bar jack is silvery, with a dark bluishstripe on the back that runs from the beginning of the softdorsal fin and onto the lower tail fin. Sometimes there isalso a pale-blue stripe immediately beneath the black stripethat extends forward onto the snout. The bar jack bears aresemblance to the blue runner but has fewer and lessprominent large scales along the caudal peduncle than theblue runner does. The bar jack has 26 to 30 soft rays in the dorsal fin and 31 to 35 gill rakers on the lower limb ofthe first arch. When feeding near bottom, it can darkenalmost to black.Size.Usually 8 to 14 inches in length, the bar jack reachesa maximum of 2 feet.Food and feeding habits.Opportunistic feeders, bar jacksfeed mainly on pelagic and benthic fish, some shrimp, andother invertebrates.OTHER NAMESrunner, skipjack; Spanish:cojinua carbonera, cojinuanegra, negrito.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, bar jacks arefound from New Jersey andBermuda to the northernGulf of Mexico and southernBrazil, as well as throughoutthe Caribbean.Habitat.Bar jacks arecommon in clear, shallow,open waters at depths of upto 60 feet, often over coralreefs. Usually traveling inspawning schools, theysometimes mix with goatfishand stingrays, althoughthey are occasionallysolitary.112Jack, BarJack, BarCaranx ruber

These two members of the Carangidae family are almostidentical in appearance and were formerly thought to bethe same species.Identification.Both species are bluish-green to greenish-gold on the back and silvery or yellowish on the belly. Theyare compressed, and the deep body has a high, roundedprofile, as well as a large mouth. The tail and the anal finmay be yellowish, and the ends of the dorsal fin and theupper tail are occasionally black. There is a prominent blackspot on the gill cover and another at the base of each pec-toral fin. The soft dorsal and anal fins are almost identical insize. The two species are distinguished externally from eachother only by the presence of a larger maximum number ofscutes, up to 42 on the Pacific crevalle jack, as opposed to26 to 35 on the crevalle jack.Size.Averaging 3 to 5 pounds in weight and 1 to 2 ⁄ feet1 2in length, the crevalle jack can regularly weigh as much as10 pounds; the Pacific crevalle jack is usually smaller. The all-tackle world record for the crevalle jack is a 58-poundAngolan fish and for the Pacific crevalle jack is a 39-poundCosta Rican fish.Life history/Behavior.Spawning occurs offshore fromMarch through September. Young fish occur in moderate tolarge fast-moving schools, and crevalle jacks occasionallyschool with horse-eye jacks, although larger fish are oftensolitary.Food and feeding habits.Voracious predators, they feedon shrimp, other invertebrates, and smaller fish. Crevallejacks will often corner a school of baitfish at the surface andfeed in a commotion that can be seen for great distances, orthey will chase their prey onto beaches and against sea-walls. Fish of both species often grunt or croak when theyare caught.OTHER NAMEScrevalle jack common jack, crevally,toro, trevally, horsecrevalle; Spanish: cavallo,chumbo, cocinero, jurelcomún.Pacific crevalle jack toro, crevally, cavalla,jiguagua; Spanish: aurel,burel, canche jurel, chumbo,cocinero, jurel toro, jurelito,sargentillo.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, crevalle jacksoccur from Nova Scotiasouth throughout the north-ern Gulf of Mexico. In theeastern Pacific, they occurfrom San Diego, California,to Peru.Habitat.Both species cantolerate a wide range ofsalinities and often inhabitcoastal areas of brackishwater and may ascendrivers, frequenting shorereefs, harbors, and pro-tected bays. Small fish areoccasionally found oversandy and muddy bottomsof very shallow waters, as inestuaries and rivers. Theyare common in depths of upto 130 feet and often moveinto cooler, deeper waterduring the summer.Jack, Crevalle and Jack, Pacific Crevalle113Jack, CrevalleCaranx hipposJack, Pacific CrevalleCaranx caninus

Like other jack species, the horse-eye is a member of theCarangidae family and a strong-fighting fish suitable forlight-tackle angling. Unlike some jacks, it is not highlyesteemed as a food fish, although the quality of horse-eyejack meat can be improved by cutting off the tail and bleed-ing the fish directly after it is caught. This and other jackshave been implicated in cases of ciguatera poisoning.Identification.The horse-eye jack is silvery, with yellowtail fins and usually dark edges on the dorsal and the uppertail fin. There is often a small black spot at the upper end ofthe gill cover, and it usually has blackish scutes. The body iscompressed, and the entire chest is scaly. There are 20 to 22soft rays in the dorsal fin and 14 to 18 gill rakers on thelower limb of the first arch. The horse-eye jack is similar inshape to the crevalle jack, although it has a less steep fore-head and is either lacking the dark blotch at the base of thepectoral fins of the crevalle jack, or the blotch is morepoorly defined. It can also be distinguished by its scales,which the crevalle jack lacks except for a small patch.Size.This species is commonly found up to 30 inches and10 pounds. The all-tackle world record is 24 pounds, 8ounces.Food and feeding habits.Horse-eye jacks feed on fish,shrimp, crabs, and other invertebrates.OTHER NAMESbig-eye jack, goggle-eye,horse-eye trevally; French:carange moyole;Portuguese:guarajuba;Spanish:jurel, jurel ojogordo, ojón, xurel.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, horse-eye jacksoccur from New Jersey andBermuda throughout thenorthern Gulf of Mexico toRío de Janeiro in Brazil.Habitat.Horse-eye jacksare most common aroundislands and offshore,although they can toleratebrackish waters and mayascend rivers. Adults preferopen water and may befound over reefs, whereasyoung are usually foundalong sandy shores andover muddy bottoms.Schooling in small to largegroups at depths of up to60 feet, horse-eye jacks maymix with crevalle jacks.114Jack, Horse-eyeJack, Horse-eyeCaranx latus

This small and spunky member of the Carangidae family isan occasional catch by anglers. Its flesh is considered fair togood eating.Identification.Silvery with a yellow cast, the yellow jackhas a bluish back and strongly yellow sides, which groweven more strikingly yellow after the fish dies. The fins arealso yellowish, as is the tail. It lacks the black spot near thegill cover that the similar horse-eye jack has, and it has a lesssteep head. There are 25 to 28 soft rays in the dorsal fin and18 to 21 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first arch. Youngfish are more brassy in color and have many pale spots.Size.Averaging less than 2 pounds in weight and 1 to 2feet in length, the yellow jack can reach a maximum of 3feet and as much as 17 pounds. The all-tackle world recordweighed 19 pounds, 7 ounces.OTHER NAMESFrench:carangue grasse;Spanish:cojinua amarilla,cibi amarillo.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, the yellow jackis found from Massachusettsto the Gulf of Mexico,including Bermuda, andsouth throughout theCaribbean and the WestIndies to Maceio in Brazil.Habitat.Common on off-shore reefs, yellow jacks areusually solitary or travel insmall groups in depths of upto 130 feet. Young typicallyroam inshore in mangrove-lined lagoons, often in association with jellyfishand floating sargassum.Jack, Yellow115Jack, YellowCaranx bartholomaei

Also called topminnows and toothed carps, these fish aremembers of the large Cyprinodontidae family of small fish.They are most abundant in warm climates, but a fewspecies occur in temperate regions. The fins are soft rayed,as in cyprinid minnows, but killifish have scales on theirheads and have no lateral lines. Typical family membershave flattened heads, and the mouths open upward, anadaptation for feeding at the surface. Some species are usedas bait, and many tropical species are kept in aquariums.The best known of these is the mummichog (Fundulusheteroclitus),a robust 3- to 5-inch species found along theAtlantic coast from Florida to Labrador. It can tolerate salin-ities to 35 parts per thousand. The mummichog is noted forits habit of burrowing into the silt on the bottom, some-times to depths of 6 inches or more in winter. On the Pacificcoast, the California killifish (F. parvipinnis)is similar in sizeand habits to the mummichog and occupies the same eco-logical niche.Other well-known species include the banded killifish (F. diaphanus),which occurs from South Carolina north-ward to the St. Lawrence River and westward through theMississippi Valley, and the gold topminnow (F. chrysotus),which inhabits freshwater and brackish estuaries andstreams from Florida to South Carolina. Other commonspecies of Fundulusinclude the banded topminnow (F. cin-gulatus),the striped killifish (F. majalis),and the saltmarshtopminnow(F. jenkinsi).Florida has the greatest representation of cyprinodonts inNorth America. Notable among these is the flagfish(Jordanella floridae),a short-bodied, almost sunfishlikespecies attaining a maximum length of 3 inches, and thepygmy killifish (Leptolucania ommata),a slender fish thatrarely exceeds 1 ⁄ inches in length.1 2Habitat.Killifish travel inschools, generally in theshallows, and are an impor-tant link in wetland andestuarine food webs. Theyare important prey forshorebirds, crabs, and largerfish, and many species arevalued for mosquito control,as they feed on the surfaceand consume whateverinsect larvae and smallinvertebrates are available.Killifish are also among thespecies most tolerant ofhigh turbidity and low oxy-gen. Many killifish live inbrackish water, as well asfreshwater.116KillifishKillifishMummichogFundulus heteroclitus

Ladyfish are members of the small Elopidae family. Theyoccur worldwide and are related to tarpon (see).They aresimilar in appearance to tarpon, although far smaller. Lady-fish are excellent light-tackle sportfish, commonly found inschools prowling shallow nearshore and brackish waters.There are at least six species of ladyfish in the genus Elops,all of which are similar in average size, behavior, and char-acteristics. In the western Atlantic, the ladyfish (E. saurus)ranges from Cape Cod and Bermuda to the northern Gulf ofMexico and southern Brazil, although it is most common inFlorida and the Caribbean. It is also known as tenpounder,asubaranain Portuguese, and as malachoin Spanish.In the eastern Pacific, the Pacific ladyfish (E. affinis)occursfrom Southern California to Peru, although it is rare innorthern Baja California. It is also known as machete,and aschiroandmalacho del Pacificoin Spanish.Identification.The ladyfish has an elongated, slender sil-very body, with a blue-green back and small scales. It looksvery much like a juvenile tarpon, although it can be distin-guished from a tarpon by the lack of an elongated last rayon the dorsal fin. Its head is small and pointed, the mouthis terminal, and the tail is deeply forked.Size.Some species of ladyfish may reach weights from 15pounds to 24 pounds and a length of 3 feet; such speci-mens are extremely rare, and in general these fish mostcommonly weigh 2 to 3 pounds. The all-tackle world recordis a 6-pounder.Life history.These fish form large schools close to shore,although they are known to spawn offshore. Their ribbon-like larvae are very similar to those of bonefish and tarpon.Food and feeding habits.Adults feed predominantly onfish and crustaceans. Ladyfish schools are often seen pursu-ing bait at the surface.Habitat.Ladyfish areinshore species that preferbays and estuaries, lagoons,mangrove areas, tidal pools,and canals. They occasion-ally enter freshwater andare rarely found on coralreefs.Ladyfish117LadyfishElops saurus

A Pacific marine species, the lingcod belongs to the familyHexagrammidae. Its name is misleading because it is not atrue cod. A local term for lingcod is “cultus cod”; the wordcultusis an Indian term meaning “false.” The lingcod is animportant and highly prized commercial and sportfish.Identification.The lingcod has a large mouth, large pec-toral fins, a smooth body, and a long, continuous dorsal findivided by a notch into spiny and soft parts. Adults havelarge heads and jaws and long, pointed teeth. Juvenileshave slender bodies. The lingcod’s coloring is usually brownor gray, with blotches outlined in orange or blue, but isclosely associated with habitat.Size.Lingcod may grow to 50 inches or longer. Males aresmaller than females, usually reaching no longer than 3 feetin length or 20 pounds in weight. Basically mature by 8years, the male will weigh about 10 pounds and the femaleabout 15. Commercial catches for lingcod sometimesinclude fish of 50 to 60 pounds. The all-tackle record is 76pounds, 9 ounces.Life history/Behavior.The spawning season is in thewinter, from December through February, when the eggsare released in large pinkish-white masses into crevices inrocks. Egg masses can contain more than a half million eggsand are frequently found in the intertidal zone. The maleprotects the eggs, which hatch in 1 to 2 months. The youngstay at the surface for 3 to 4 months before dropping to thebottom.Food and feeding habits.Adults feed on herring, floun-der, cod, hake, greenling, rockfish, squid, crustaceans, andsmall lingcod. Juveniles consume small crustaceans and fish.OTHER NAMEScultus cod, blue cod, buffalo cod, green cod,ling; Finnish: vihersimppu;French:terpuga;Japanese:ainame;Portuguese:lorcha;Swedish:grönfisk.Distribution.The lingcodoccurs in North Americanwaters from Southern Cali-fornia to Alaska but is mostabundant in the colderwaters of the north.Habitat.Lingcod inhabitcolder waters in intertidalzone reefs and kelp bedsthat have strong tidal cur-rents. They prefer depthsfrom 2 to more than 70fathoms over rock bottom.118LingcodLingcodOphiodon elongatus

A member of the Carangidae family of jacks, the lookdownis so called because of its habit of hovering over the bottomin a partly forward-tilted position, which makes it seem to“look down.” The flesh of the lookdown has an excellentflavor and is commercially marketed fresh.Identification.Bright silver and iridescent, the lookdownhas a deep and extremely compressed body that may havegoldish, greenish, bluish, or purplish highlights. One of itsmost striking features is the unusually high forehead, as wellas the low placement of the mouth on the face and thehigh placement of the eyes. The first rays of the second dor-sal fin and the anal fin are long and streamerlike; in the dor-sal fin, they may extend to the tail, whereas in the anal finthey do not extend as far. The lookdown may also havethree or four pale bars across the lower body. On youngfish, there are two very long, threadlike filaments thatextend from the dorsal fin.Size.Ordinarily 6 to 10 inches long and weighing less thana pound, the lookdown may reach 1 foot in length andweigh 3 pounds. The all-tackle world record is a Brazilianfish that weighed 4 pounds, 10 ounces.Food.Lookdown feed on small crabs, shrimp, fish, andworms.OTHER NAMESPortuguese:galo de pena-cho, peixe-galo;Spanish:caracaballo, joro bado,papelillo, pez luna.Distribution.Endemic tothe western Atlantic, look-down are found from Maineand possibly Nova Scotiasouth to Uruguay, as well asin Bermuda and the Gulf ofMexico.Habitat.Lookdown favorshallow coastal waters atdepths of 2 to 30 feet, gen-erally over hard or sandybottoms around pilings andbridges and often in murkywater. Occasionally occur-ring in small schools, look-down hover over thebottom. Small fish may befound in estuaries.Lookdown119LookdownSelene vomer

One of the largest members of the Cyclopteridae family ofsh is not afish, the unusual-looking lumpfish and snailfilumpsh in Europefiquarry of anglers, but it is known as a food and is reportedly valued for its eggs as an inexpensive sub-stitute for caviar.Identification.The lumpfish is a stout-bodied, almostle. It has a wartyfish, with a humped upper profiround appearance, due to a ridge of prominent tubercles runningalong the middle of the back, as well as three other rows oftubercles on the sides, the uppermost of which extendsfrom the tip of the snout to the base of the tail. Another dis-ns are fused to form afitinctive feature is the way the pelvic sh to attachfiround suction disk, which enables the lumpitself to rocks. Of variable coloration, it is usually olive greenor bluish-gray with a yellowish belly; this grows red onns are broad and fan-fimales during breeding. The pectoral rst dor-filike, and lower rays start at the throat region. The n is apparent only in the young.fisal Size.sh can grow to 2 feet and 21 pounds,fiThe lumpalthough it is usually smaller.Life history/Behavior.sh may lay 20,000fiFemale lumpeggs or more, which sink to the bottom and stick. They aresh are solitary,figuarded by the male until they hatch. Lumpsh.firather than schooling, Food.sh feeds on small crustaceans and smallfiThe lumpsh.fiOTHER NAMESlump, lumpsucker, nipisa,kiark-varrey; Italian: ciclot-tero;Spanish:cicloptero.Distribution.In the west-sh occurfiern Atlantic, lumpfrom Hudson Bay to JamesBay and from Labrador toNew Jersey; they are rarelyfound from the ChesapeakeBay south or in Bermuda.Habitat.sh gener-fiLumpally inhabit rocky bottomsof cold waters but may alsooating sea-floccur among weed.120shfiLumpLumpfishCyclopterus lumpus

Like other members of the Scombridae family, the Atlanticmackerel is a fast-swimming, schooling, pelagic species thatgarners significant recreational and commercial interest.Sometimes it is almost completely absent, and at othertimes it is plentiful in swarming schools.Identification.The Atlantic mackerel has a smooth, taper-ing head, a streamlined body, and brilliant coloration. An iri-descent greenish-blue covers most of the upper body,turning to blue-black on the head and silvery white on thebelly. The skin is satiny and has small, smooth scales. The tailis forked. A distinguishing characteristic is the series of 23 to33 wavy, dark bands on the upper part of the body. Thereare two fins on the back, one spiny and one soft, followedby a number of small finlets. There are also finlets on theundersurface of the body near the tail.Size/Age.The average size for adults is 14 to 18 inchesand 1 ⁄ to 2 ⁄ pounds. The all-tackle world record is a 1 41 22-pound, 10-ounce Norwegian fish. The maximum age isroughly 20 years.Life history/Behavior.Atlantic mackerel native to thewestern Atlantic comprise two populations. The southernpopulation appears offshore in early April, advancingtoward Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey to later spawnoff New Jersey and Long Island. In late May, the northerngroup enters southern New England waters for a shortperiod and mingles with the southern stock, then movesnorth to spawn off Nova Scotia in the Gulf of St. Lawrencein June and July.Atlantic mackerel are moderately prolific. The eggs arereleased wherever the fish happen to be, leaving adversewinds to push eggs or small fry into areas where theirchances of survival are slight. This behavior, combined withpredation of large, as well as young, mackerel, results in acurious pattern of either superabundance or scarcity.Food.The diet consists of fish eggs and a variety of smallfish and fry.OTHER NAMESmackerel, common mack-erel, Boston mackerel; Arabic:scomber;Danish:almindelige, makrel;Dutch:gewone makrel;French:maquereau;German:makrele;Italian:lacerta,macarello;Japanese:hirasaba, marusaba;Norwegian: makrell;Portuguese:cavalla;Spanish:caballa;Swedish:makrill;Turkish:uskumru.Distribution.Occurring inthe North Atlantic Ocean,the Atlantic mackerel rangesfrom Labrador to Cape Hat-teras, North Carolina, in theeastern region; and fromthe Baltic Sea to theMediterranean and BlackSeas in the western Atlantic.Habitat.The Atlanticmackerel is pelagic, prefer-ring cool, well-oxygenatedopen-ocean waters.Mackerel, Atlantic121Mackerel, AtlanticScomber scombrus

A popular gamefish in tropical waters and a member of theScombridae family, the cero mackerel is a pelagic speciesthat also has commercial interest. It is considered excellenttable fare and is marketed fresh, smoked, and frozen. Off-shore anglers may use the cero mackerel as rigged bait forlarger predatory species.Identification.The cero mackerel is iridescent bluish-green above and silvery below, with rows of short, yellow-brown spots above; there are also yellow-orange streaksand a dark stripe below, which runs the length of the bodyfrom the pectoral fin to the base of the tail. The front of thefirst dorsal fin is bluish-black and has 17 to 18 spines and 15to 18 gill rakers on the first arch. The pectoral fins are cov-ered with small scales. The cero mackerel differs from theking mackerel and the Spanish mackerel in the pattern of itsspots, which are rather elongated and arranged in linesinstead of being scattered; the cero mackerel also has a lat-eral line that curves evenly down to the base of the tail,which further distinguishes it.Size.The all-tackle world-record cero mackerel weighed17 pounds, 2 ounces. This species usually weighs less than5 pounds.Spawning.These fish spawn offshore in midsummer.Food.Cero mackerel feed mainly on small schooling fish,such as sardines, anchovies, pilchards, herring, and silver-sides, as well as on squid and shrimp.OTHER NAMEScero, spotted cero, kingmackerel, black-spottedSpanish mackerel; French:thazard franc;Portuguese:cavala-branca;Spanish:carite, cavalla, pintada,sierra.Distribution.Found intropical and subtropicalwaters in the westernAtlantic, cero mackerelrange from Massachusettsto Brazil; they are commonto abundant throughout theFlorida Keys, the Bahamas,the Antilles, and Cuba.Habitat.A nearshore andoffshore resident, the ceromackerel prefers clearwaters around coral reefsand wrecks and is usuallysolitary or travels in smallgroups.122Mackerel, CeroMackerel, CeroScomberomorus regalis

Frigate mackerel are an abundant member of the Scombri-dae family and hold an important place in the food web,especially as a forage fish for other species. They are com-mercially significant and marketed fresh, frozen,dried/salted, smoked, and canned.Identification.The color of the frigate mackerel is darkgreenish-blue above and silvery white below. It has 15 ormore narrow, oblique, dark wavy markings on the unscaledback portion of its body. There are eight dorsal finlets andseven anal finlets. It resembles the tuna family more than itdoes the mackerel, with its more lunate than forked tail; aswith all mackerel, however, its first and second dorsal finsare separated by a wide space.Size.The average frigate mackerel weighs less than 2pounds and is less than 20 inches long. The all-tackle worldrecord is a 3-pound, 12-ounce fish.Food.Frigate mackerel feed on small fish, squid, plank-tonic crustaceans, and larvae.OTHER NAMESbullet mackerel, frigatetuna, leadenall, mackereltuna; Arabic: deraiga,sadah;French/Danish:auxide;Italian:tombarello;Japanese:hira sóda, soda-gatsuo;Malay/Indonesian:aya, baculan,kayau, selasih;Portuguese:judeu;Spanish:barriletonegro, melva;Swedish/Norwegian: auxid;Turkish:gobene, tombile.Distribution.Frigatemackerel are cosmopolitanin warm waters, althoughthere are few documentedoccurrences in the AtlanticOcean. They are subject toperiods of abundance andscarcity in particular areas.Habitat.A schoolingspecies, frigate mackerelinhabit both coastal andoceanic waters.Mackerel, Frigate123Mackerel, FrigateAuxis thazard

The largest mackerel in the western Atlantic, the king mack-erel is a prized gamefish and an important commercialspecies, with millions of pounds of fish landed annually. Amember of the Scombridae family, the king mackerel hasfirm meat, most of which is sold fresh or processed intosteaks. Smaller quantities are canned, salted, smoked, andfrozen. It may be ciguatoxic in certain areas, however.Identification.The streamlined body of the king mackerelis a dark gray above, growing silver on the sides and below,and there are no markings on the body, although the backmay have an iridescent blue to olive tint. Most of the finsare pale or dusky, except the first dorsal fin, which is uni-formly blue; the front part of this fin is never black, whichdistinguishes it from the Spanish mackerel and the ceromackerel. Other distinguishing features include the sharpdrop of the lateral line under the second dorsal fin, as wellas a relatively small number (14 to 16) of spines in the firstdorsal fin and a lower gill rake count, which is 6 to 11 onthe first arch. Young king mackerel may be mistaken forSpanish mackerel because of the small, round, dark to goldspots on the sides, but these fade and disappear with age.Size/Age.Averaging less than 10 pounds in weight, theking mackerel is usually 2 to 4 feet long and weighs up to20 pounds. It reaches a maximum length of 5 ⁄ feet and a1 2weight of 100 pounds. Females grow larger than males. Theall-tackle world record is a 93-pound fish taken off PuertoRico in 1999. This species is believed to reach 14 years old,but those older than 7 years are rare.Life history/Behavior.Male king mackerel become sex-ually mature between their second and third years andfemale fish between their third and fourth years. Theyspawn from April through November, and activity peaks inthe late summer and the early fall. A large female mayspawn 1 to 2.5 million eggs.Food.King mackerel feed mainly on fish, as well as on asmaller quantity of shrimp and squid.OTHER NAMESkingfish, giant mackerel;French:maquereau;Portuguese:cavala;Spanish:carite, carite lucio,carite sierra, rey, serrucho,sierra.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, king mackerelrange from Massachusettsto Río de Janeiro, Brazil,including the Caribbeanand the Gulf of Mexico,although they are only trulyabundant off southernFlorida. Two separate popu-lations are suspected, one inthe Gulf of Mexico and onein the Atlantic.Habitat.King mackerelare primarily an open-water,migratory species, preferringwarm waters that seldomfall below 68°F. They oftenoccur around wrecks, buoys,coral reefs, ocean piers,inlets, and other areaswhere food is abundant.They tend to avoid highlyturbid waters, and larvaeare often found in warm,highly saline surface waters.A schooling species, kingmackerel migrate exten-sively and annually alongthe western Atlantic coast inschools of various sizes,although the largest individ-uals usually remain solitary.124Mackerel, KingMackerel, KingScomberomorus cavalla

Not a true mackerel but a member of the Carangidae fam-ily of jacks, the Pacific jack mackerel is marketed fresh,smoked, canned, and frozen.Identification.The body of the Pacific jack mackerel issomewhat compressed and elongate, with a tail that is asbroad as it is deep. It is metallic blue to olive green on theback, shading to silver on the belly. Its last dorsal and analsoft rays are attached to the body or rarely separated fromthe fins, and the sides are covered with enlarged scales. ThePacific jack mackerel bears a resemblance to the Mexicanscad, but the enlarged scales distinguish it, as do the last,attached rays of the dorsal and the anal fins. On the Mexi-can scad, the rays are isolated finlets.Size/Age.The Pacific jack mackerel can weigh 4 to 5pounds and can live 20 to 30 years.Spawning behavior.Sexual maturity comes early forPacific jack mackerel. Half of the females are ready to spawnat age 2, and all fish spawn by age 3. Spawning takes placefrom March through June over a considerable area, from 80to more than 240 miles offshore.Food and feeding habits.Pacific jack mackerel feed onsmall crustaceans and fish larvae, as well as on anchovies,lanternfish, and juvenile squid.OTHER NAMEShorse mackerel, jack mack-erel, jackfish, mackereljack,scad; Spanish: charrito,chicharro.Distribution.In the east-ern Pacific, Pacific jackmackerel range from south-eastern Alaska to southernBaja California, extendinginto the Gulf of California,Mexico. They are alsoreported from Acapulco,Mexico, and the GalápagosIslands.Habitat.Pacific jackmackerel are often foundoffshore in large schools;adults are found up to 500miles from the coast and indepths of up to 150 feet.Young fish school near kelpand under piers, whereaslarger fish often move off-shore or northward.Mackerel, Pacific Jack125Mackerel, Pacific JackTrachurus symmetricus

The Pacific sierra mackerel is an abundant fish in the Pacificalong the coasts of Mexico and Central America. A memberof the Scombridae family of mackerel and not to be con-fused with the Atlantic sierra (Scomberomorus brasiliensis),which occurs only in the Atlantic, the Pacific sierra mackerelis an eastern Pacific fish that is excellent to eat. It is mar-keted fresh and frozen. It resembles the Spanish mackerel inappearance, and the all-tackle world record is an Ecuado-rian fish of 18 pounds caught in 1990.Pacific sierra mackerel extend from La Jolla in SouthernCalifornia south to the Galápagos Islands and to Paita, Peru.They have recently been reported from Antofagasta, Chile.A schooling species, Pacific sierra mackerel are found in sur-face coastal waters and over the bottom of the continentalshelf. Thought to spawn close to the coast, they feed onsmall fish, especially anchovies.OTHER NAMESPacific sierra; Spanish:macarela, serrucho, sierra,verle.126Mackerel, Pacific SierraMackerel, Pacific SierraScomberomorus sierra

The Spanish mackerel is a popular gamefish and a goodfood fish of the Scombridae family.Identification.The slender, elongated body of the Span-ish mackerel is silvery with a bluish or olive-green back.There are 16 to 18 spines in the first dorsal fin, 15 to 18 softrays in the second dorsal fin—with 8 to 9 finlets behind it,and 13 to 15 gill rakers on the first arch. The lateral linecurves evenly downward to the base of the tail.The Spanish mackerel resembles both the cero mackereland the king mackerel, but it has bronze or yellow spotswithout stripes; the cero mackerel has both spots andstripes of bronze or yellow, whereas the king mackerel hasneither. The Spanish mackerel lacks scales on the pectoralfins, which further distinguishes it from both the cero andthe king mackerel, which have scales on them. Also, thefront part of the first dorsal fin on the Spanish mackerel isblack, whereas it is more blue on the king mackerel, and thesecond dorsal fin and the pectoral fins may be edged inblack.Size/Age.The Spanish mackerel grows to 37 inches and11 pounds, averaging 1 ⁄ to 3 feet and 2 to 3 pounds. The1 2all-tackle word record is a 13-pounder taken off North Car-olina in 1987. Fish older than 5 years are rare, althoughsome have been known to reach 8 years.Spawning behavior.Spanish mackerel are able to repro-duce by the second year and spawn offshore from Aprilthrough September.Food and feeding habits.Spanish mackerel feed primarilyon small fish, as well as on squid and shrimp; they oftenforce their prey into crowded clumps and practically pushthe fish out of the water as they feed.OTHER NAMESAtlantic Spanish mackerel;Portuguese:sororoca;Spanish:carite, pintada,sierra, sierra pintada.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, there are twoseparate populations ofSpanish mackerel: one inthe Gulf of Mexico and theother along the main west-ern Atlantic coast. The for-mer extends from the Gulfof Mexico throughoutFlorida waters to theYucatán, and the latterextends from Miami to theChesapeake Bay and occa-sionally to Cape Cod. Theyare absent from theBahamas and the Antilles,except around Cuba andHaiti, but are abundantaround Florida.Habitat.Occurringinshore, near shore, and off-shore, Spanish mackerel prefer open water but aresometimes found over deepgrassbeds and reefs, as wellas in shallow-water estuar-ies. They form large, fast-moving schools that migrategreat distances along theshore, staying in waters withtemperatures above 68°F;these schools occur off NorthCarolina in April, off theChesapeake Bay in May, andoff New York in June, return-ing south in the winter.Mackerel, Spanish127Mackerel, SpanishScomberomorus maculatus

A premier member of the Istiophoridae family of billfish, theblue marlin is one of the foremost big-game species world-wide. It has exceptional size and strength and is a powerful,aggressive fighter. It runs hard and long, sounds deep, andleaps high into the air in a seemingly inexhaustible displayof strength. Intensively pursued commercially in many partsof its range, it is overexploited. The flesh is pale and firmand makes excellent table fare, especially when smoked. Inthe Orient it is often served as sashimi or in fish sausages.Blue marlin are seldom eaten in North America, and thevast majority caught by anglers are released after capture,and many of those released are tagged.Identification.The pectoral fins of blue marlin are neverrigid, even after death, and can be folded completely flatagainst the sides. The dorsal fin is high and pointed (ratherthan rounded) anteriorly, and its greatest height is less thanits greatest body depth. The anal fin is relatively large andalso pointed. Juveniles might not share all of these charac-teristics, but the peculiar lateral line system is usually visiblein small specimens. In adults it is rarely visible unless thescales or the skin are removed. The lateral line of a Pacificblue marlin is a series of large loops, like a chain, along theflanks. The lateral line of all Atlantic blue marlin is a reticu-lated network that is more complex than the simple loopsof Pacific specimens. The vent is just in front of the anal fin,as it is in all billfish except the spearfish, and the upper jawis elongated in the form of a spear.The back is cobalt blue and the flanks and the belly aresilvery white. There may be light blue or lavender verticalstripes on the sides, but these usually fade away soon afterdeath, and they are never as obvious as those of the stripedmarlin. There are no spots on the fins. Small blue marlin aresimilar to white marlin, but the blue has a more pointedOTHER NAMESAtlantic blue marlin, Pacific blue marlin, Cubanblack marlin; French:espadon, makaire bleu;Japanese:makajiki,nishikuro;Portuguese:agulhao preto;Spanish:abanco, aguja azul, castero,marlín azul.Distribution/Habitat.This pelagic, migratoryspecies occurs in tropicaland warm temperateoceanic waters. In theAtlantic Ocean, it is foundfrom 45° north to 35° southlatitude and in the PacificOcean from 48° north to48° south latitude. It is lessabundant in the easternportions of both oceans. Inthe northern Gulf of Mexico,its movements seem to beassociated with the so-called Loop Current, anextension of the CaribbeanCurrent. Seasonal concen-trations occur in the south-west Atlantic (5° to 30°south latitude) from Januarythrough April, in the north-west Atlantic (10° to 35°north latitude) from Junethrough October, and in the128Marlin, BlueMarlin, BlueMakaira nigricans and Makaira mazara

n at the anterior end and more pointed tips on thefidorsal n spots.fins, and it lacks dorsal fipectoral and the anal Size/Age.The blue marlin is the largest marlin existing inthe Atlantic Ocean. Elsewhere, it is capable of growing tosizes that equal or exceed those of the black marlin. Japan-ese longline reports indicate that the blue marlin is thelargest-growing member of the Istiophoridae family. Itc Ocean,fiapparently grows larger on average in the Paciwhere decades ago one commercially caught specimenreportedly weighed 2,200 pounds, and an angler-caughtspecimen (which did not qualify for world-record status)weighed 1,800 pounds. The all-tackle world record forAtlantic blues is a 1,402-pounder caught in 1992 at Vitoria,c blues is a 1,376-fiBrazil; the all-tackle world record for Pacipounder caught in 1982 at Kona, Hawaii. The giants are allfemales, as male blue marlin rarely exceed 300 pounds.Most blue marlin encountered by anglers range between150 and 400 pounds. Blue marlin are believed to live forsh exceeding 10 years offimore than 15 years, although age are uncommon.Life history/Behavior.The life history of the blue marlinis poorly known. The full extent of its oceanic wanderings,as well as its open-sea spawning activities, are unknown.sh are found in the warm blue water of offshorefiThese environs, usually over considerable depths and where thereare underwater structures (for example, canyons, dropoffs,ridges, seamounts) and currents that attract copious sup-sh. They are usually solitary.fiplies of baitFood and feeding behavior.Blue marlin feed on squidsh, including assorted tuna and mackerel, asfiand pelagic well as on dolphin. They feed on almost anything they cancatch, in fact, and they feed according to availability, ratherthan selectivity. Because they require large quantities offood, they are scarce when and where prey is limited.western and central Northc (2° to 24° northfiPaci latitude) from May throughOctober.Marlin, Blue129Marlin, Blue(continued)

c Ocean, the striped marlin isfiWidely distributed in the Pacithe most prevalent marlin in the Istiophoridae family of bill-ght-fish and a prized angling catch. It is well known for its fiing ability and has the reputation of spending more time inthe air than in the water when hooked; lacking the overallsize and weight of the blue marlin or the black marlin, it ismore acrobatically inclined. In addition to making long runsand tail-walking, it will “greyhound” across the surface, per-forming up to a dozen or more long, graceful leaps. It iscaught fairly close to shore in appropriate waters.The striped marlin has red meat and is the object ofshing efforts, primarily by longlin-fiextensive commercial c range hold itsfiing. Many people throughout its Indo-Pacish forfiesh in high esteem, and it is rated best among billflshing pressure hasfisashimi and sushi preparations. Heavy sh.firesulted in reduced stocks, however, as is true of all billIdentification.The body of the striped marlin is elongateand compressed, and its upper jaw is extended in the formof a spear. The color is dark or steely blue above andbecomes bluish-silver and white below a clearly visible andstraight lateral line. Numerous iridescent blue spots gracens, and pale blue or lavender vertical stripes appear onfithe the sides. These may or may not be prominent, but they arenormally more prominent than those of other marlin. Thestripes persist after death, which is not always true withother marlin. The most distinguishing characteristic is ahigh, pointed first dorsal fin, which normally equals orexceeds the greatest body depth. Even in the largest speci-n is at least equal to 90 percent of the bodyfimens, this ns arefin, the anal and the pectoral fidepth. Like the dorsal at and movable and can easily beflpointed. They are also ush against the sides, even after death.flfolded ns on the belly, and afiThe striped marlin has scales, sh, whichfirounded spear, which set it apart from the swordOTHER NAMEScfistriper, marlin, Pacic stripedfimarlin, Pacimarlin, barred marlin,sh, Newfish, spearfispikeZealand marlin, red marlin(Japan); Arabic: kheil albahar;French:empéreur;Hawaiian:a’u, nairagi;Japanese:makajiki;Por-tuguese:espadim raiado;Spanish:agujón, marlín,marlin rayado, pez aguja.Distribution/Habitat.Found in tropical and warmtemperate waters of thecfiIndian and the PaciOceans, the striped marlin ispelagic and seasonallymigratory, moving towardthe equator during the coldseason and away again dur-ing the warm season. In thec, the stripedfieastern Pacimarlin ranges as far northas Oregon but is most com-mon south of Point Concep-tion, California. It usuallyappears off California in Julyand remains until late Octo-sh-fiber. The best California ing locality is in a belt ofwater that extends from theeast end of Santa CatalinaIsland offshore to San130Marlin, StripedMarlin, StripedTetrapturus audax

has no scales or ventral fins and a flat bill; from the sailfish,which has an extremely high dorsal fin; and from aspearfish, which has neither the long spear on the upperjaw nor the body weight of the larger marlin.Size.The largest striped marlin on record is a 494-poundfish caught in New Zealand in 1986; in the United Statesthe largest known is a 339-pound California fish. They arecommon from under 100 pounds to roughly 200 pounds.Life history/Behavior.The life history of this species ispoorly known. Striped marlin are found in the warm bluewater of offshore environs, usually above the thermocline.They are mostly solitary but may form schools by size dur-ing the spawning season. They are usually present wherethere is plenty of forage.Food and feeding habits.The striped marlin is highlypredatory, feeding extensively on pilchards, anchovies,mackerel, sauries, flyingfish, squid, and whatever is abun-dant. The spear of the marlin is sometimes used for defenseand as an aid in capturing food. Wooden boats frequentlyhave been rammed by billfish, and in one instance the spearpenetrated 18 ⁄ inches of hardwood, 14 ⁄ inches of which1 21 2was oak. When it uses its bill in capturing food, the stripedmarlin sometimes stuns its prey by slashing sideways withthe spear, rather than impaling its victim, as some believe.Clemente Island and south-ward in the direction of theLos Coronados Islands. Thewaters around the BajaPeninsula, Mexico, are especially known for stripedmarlin, which are particu-larly abundant off Cabo SanLucas.Marlin, Striped131Marlin, Striped(continued)

The smallest of the four marlin in the Istiophoridae family ofbillfish, the white marlin is a top-rated light-tackle gamefishand the most frequently encountered marlin along the EastCoast of the United States, where it is almost exclusivelyreleased (often tagged) after capture.Identification.The body of the white marlin is elongateand compressed, and its upper jaw extends in the form of aspear. It is generally lighter in color and tends to show moregreen than do other marlin, although it may at timesappear to be almost chocolate brown along the back; theflanks are silvery and taper to a white underbelly. Severallight blue or lavender vertical bars may show on the flanks.Its most characteristic feature is the rounded, rather thanpointed, tips of the pectoral fins, the first dorsal fin, and thefirst anal fin. The first dorsal fin is convex, and the flat, mov-able pectoral fins can easily be folded flush against the sidesof the body.Size.Fish to 8 feet in length are common throughout theirrange, although white marlin can attain a length of 10 feet.The all-tackle world-record fish weighed 181 pounds, 12ounces, and was caught in Brazil in 1979.Life history/Behavior.Although this pelagic and migra-tory species usually favors deep-blue tropical and warmtemperate (exceeding 81°F) waters, it frequently comes inclose to shore where waters aren’t much deeper than 8fathoms. It is normally found above the thermocline, and itsoccurrence varies seasonally. It is present in higher latitudesin both the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres duringthe respective warm seasons. It is usually solitary but some-times travels in small groups, the latter tendency reflectingfeeding opportunities. Spawning occurs in the spring, withboth sexes reaching maturity at around 51 inches in length.Food and feeding behavior.White marlin feed on assortedpelagic fish and squid, including sardines and herring.OTHER NAMESspikefish, Atlantic whitemarlin; French: espadon;Italian:marlin bianco;Japanese:nishimaka; nishi-makajiki;Portuguese:agulhão branco, espadimbranco;Spanish:agujablanca, aguja de costa,blanca, cabezona, marlinblanco, picudo blanco.Distribution.The whitemarlin occurs throughoutthe Atlantic Ocean from latitudes 45° north to 45°south in the west, includingthe Gulf of Mexico and theCaribbean Sea, and from45° north to 35° south inthe east. In North America,it is prominent in offshorewaters off Maryland, NorthCarolina, and Florida.132Marlin, WhiteMarlin, WhiteTetrapturus albidus

A member of the herring family, the Atlantic menhaden is ahugely important commercial species; greater numbers ofthis fish are taken each year by commercial fishermen thanof any other fish in the United States. Excessive fishing,however, has caused population declines.Identification.The Atlantic menhaden has a deep andcompressed body, a big bony head, and a large mouth, witha lower jaw that fits into a notch in the upper jaw. It also hasadipose eyelids, which make it appear sleepy. It has a darkblue back, silvery sides with an occasional reddish or brassytint, pale yellow fins edged in black, a dark patch on theshoulder, and two or three scattered rows of smaller spots.Size.The Atlantic menhaden can reach a length of 1 ⁄ feet.1 2Life history/Behavior.Atlantic menhaden form largeand very compact schools, consisting of both young andadult fish; this makes them vulnerable to commercial fisher-men, some of whom use spotter planes to locate theschools and direct commercial vessels to the fish, which arethen encircled.Menhaden have distinct seasonal migrations—northwardin April and May and southward in the early fall. Spawningoccurs year-round, although not in the same locations at thesame time. For example, because high water temperaturesare detrimental to breeding, the peak spawning season offthe southern coast of the United States is October throughMarch. Egg estimates for each female run in the tens ofthousands to hundreds of thousands. They are free floatingand hatch at sea. Once hatched, the offspring are carriedinto estuaries and bays, which serve as sheltered nurseryareas in which young Atlantic menhaden spend their firstyear. The fish mature between their first and third years.Food and feeding habits.Using long filaments on theirgills, Atlantic menhaden filter zooplankton and other smallplants and animals out of the water.OTHER NAMESpogy, bunker, bughead,bugfish, fatback, men-haden, mossbunker; Danish, Finnish, Norwe-gian, Polish, Swedish: menhaden;French:menhaden tyran;Spanish:lacha tirana.Distribution.This speciesoccurs in the westernAtlantic Ocean from NovaScotia to the Indian River insouthern Florida. In thenorthern regions, it is pri-marily known as bunker.Habitat.Atlantic men-haden inhabit inland tidalareas of brackish water andcoastal saltwater. Theymigrate in and out of baysand inlets and are foundinshore in summer. Somepopulations move intodeeper water in the winter.Menhaden, Atlantic133Menhaden, AtlanticBrevoortia tyrannus

c, where it isfish is very important in the Indo-PacifiThe milkused widely for food, but is mostly ignored in North Amer-ica. However, its tarponlike appearance has caused anglersto misidentify it and spend much time futilely trying toies.flcial lures and ficatch it on artiIdentification.Looking somewhat like a large mullet or atarpon, the milkfish has a streamlined and compressedbody, large eyes, and a silvery metallic coloring. It also hasn; and afia small, toothless mouth; a single spineless dorsal n.filarge forked tail Size/Age.sh can reach 5 feet in length and afiThe milkweight of 50 pounds and can live for 15 years. The all-sh.fitackle world record is a 24-pound, 8-ounce Hawaiian Life history/Behavior.sh spawn in shallow, brack-fiMilksh may produce 9 million eggs.fiish water, and a single oat on the surface until they hatch, and the new lar-flThese vae enter inshore waters 2 to 3 weeks after hatching. Olderlarvae settle in coastal wetlands during the juvenile stage,occasionally entering freshwater lakes, and older juvenilesand young adults return to the sea to mature sexually.Food and feeding habits.sh larvae feed on zoo-fiMilkplankton, whereas juveniles and adults eat bacteria, softalgae, small benthic invertebrates, and sometimes pelagicsh eggs and larvae.fiOTHER NAMESsalmon herring; Afrikaans:melkvis;Fijian:yawa;French:chano, thon;Hawaiian:awa;Japanese:sabahii;Philippinelanguages:bangos, banglis,bangolis, bangris, banglot;Tahitian:tamano;Thai:pla nuanchan;Vietnamese:cá máng.Distribution.In the east-sh occurfic, milkfiern Pacifrom San Pedro, California,to the Galápagos Islands.Habitat.Adults travel inschools along continentalshelves and around islandswhere there are well-developed reefs and wheretemperatures exceed 68°F.ourish in water asflsh fiMilkhot as 90°F.134shfiMilkMilkfishChanos chanos

Mojarra are members of the Gerridae family of tropical andsubtropical saltwater fish. Roughly 40 species are in thisfamily, some of which also occur in brackish water and afew rarely in freshwater. They are small and silvery and haveprotractile mouths. The upper jaw of the mojarra fits into adefined slot when the mouth is not extended, or “pursed.”When feeding, the mouth is protruded and directed down-ward. The dorsal and the anal fins have a sheath of scalesalong the base, and the gill membranes are not united tothe isthmus. The first, or spiny, dorsal fin is high in front,sloping into the second, or soft-rayed, dorsal. The tail isdeeply forked.Most mojarra are less than 10 inches long. They areimportant for predator species and are used as bait by someanglers. Some species are observed in schools on sandy,shallow flats.The spotfin mojarra (Eucinostomus argenteus)is abundantin the western Atlantic off the coast from New Jersey toBrazil. It occurs in the eastern Pacific along the coast fromSouthern California to Peru. The yellowfin mojarra (Gerrescinereus)is common in Florida and the Caribbean.Mojarra135MojarraYellowfin MojarraGerres cinereus

Mullet are members of the Mugilidae family, a group ofroughly 70 species whose members range worldwide. Allare good food fish, and the roe is considered a delicacy.Mullet are important forage for many predator species.Identification.The striped mullet (Mugil cephalus)isbluish-gray or green along the back, shading to silver on thesides and white below. Also known as the black mullet, orfatback, it has indistinct horizontal black bars, or stripes, onits sides; the fins are lightly scaled at the base and unscaledabove; the nose is blunt and the mouth small; and the sec-ond dorsal fin originates behind that of the anal fin. It is sim-ilar to the smaller fantail mullet (M. gyrans)and the whitemullet(M. curema),both of which have a black blotch atthe base of their pectoral fins, which is lacking in the stripedmullet.Size.The striped mullet may reach a length of 3 feet andweigh as much as 12 pounds, although the largest speci-mens have come from aquariums. Roe specimens in thewild are common to 3 pounds, but most striped mulletweigh closer to a pound. The fantail mullet is small and usu-ally weighs less than a pound. The white mullet is similar insize to the fantail.Life history/Behavior.Mullet are schooling fish foundinshore in coastal environs. Many species have the unusualhabit of leaping from the water with no apparent cause.Adult striped mullet migrate offshore in large schools tospawn. Fantail mullet spawn in near-shore or inshore watersduring the spring and the summer. White mullet spawn off-shore, and the young migrate into estuaries and alongbeaches.Food and feeding habits.Mullet feed on algae, detritus,and other tiny marine forms; they pick up mud from thebottom and strain plant and animal material from itthrough their sievelike gill rakers and pharyngeal teeth.Distribution.The stripedmullet is cosmopolitan in allwarm seas worldwide and isthe only member of themullet family found off thePacific coast of the UnitedStates. The fantail mulletoccurs in the westernAtlantic in Bermuda andfrom Florida and the north-ern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil.The white mullet is found inthe western Atlantic inBermuda and from Massa-chusetts south to Brazil,including the Gulf of Mexico, and in the easternPacific from the Gulf of California, Mexico, toIquique, Chile.136MulletMulletStriped MulletMugil cephalusWhite MulletMugil curema

There are 32 species in the Belonidae family of needlefish,many of which are also known as longtoms or sea gar. Theyare often observed by coastal anglers, and some are caughtfrequently. Needlefish commonly skip (or leap) across thesurface when hooked, when alarmed, and when attractedto lights at night.The most distinguishing features of the needlefish are itselongated upper and lower jaws, which have numerousneedlelike teeth. The upper jaw is shorter than the lowerjaw; however, in two species the lower jaw is shorter. It hasa slender, elongate body that is silver on the flanks andbluish or dark green along the back and also features smallscales and a wide mouth.One of the most widely dispersed species is the hound-fish(Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus),which is found nearlyworldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters. It iscommon in the western Atlantic, ranging from New Jerseysouthward through the Caribbean to Brazil.The houndfish averages 2 feet or less in length but occa-sionally attains a length of 4 to 5 feet. It is also known ashound needlefish, crocodile needlefish, and crocodile long-tom, and the all-tackle world record is 7 ⁄ pounds (the12record for the Mexican houndfish is 21 pounds, 12 ounces).Compared to other, generally smaller members of the fam-ily, the houndfish has a relatively short, stout beak. It isfound singly or in small groups, readily strikes artificial lures,and is exciting to take on rod and reel.The Atlantic needlefish (Strongylura marina)is a smallerspecies that inhabits coastal areas and mangrove-linedlagoons and also enters freshwater. It occurs in the westernAtlantic and ranges from the Gulf of Maine to Brazil. It isabsent from the Bahamas and Antilles. It grows to 31 inchesand can weigh slightly more than 3 pounds.Habitat.Most needlefishlive in tropical seas, a fewinhabit cooler waters oftemperate regions, andsome stray occasionally intofreshwater.Needlefish137NeedlefishAtlantic NeedlefishStrongylura marina

A member of the nibblers in the Kyphosidae family of seachub, the opaleye is a tough species to catch and a deter-mined fighter on rod and reel.Identification.The body of the opaleye is oval and com-pressed, the snout is thick and has an evenly rounded pro-file, and the mouth is small. Its coloring is dark olive green,and most individuals have one or two white spots on eachside of the back under the middle of the dorsal fin. Bright-blue eyes and a heavy perchlike body distinguish it fromrelated species.Size.They are reported to attain a maximum length of25 ⁄ inches and weight of 13 ⁄ pounds.1 21 2Life history/Behavior.Opaleye form dense schools inshallow water when spawning, which occurs from Aprilthrough June. Eggs and larvae are free floating and may befound miles from shore. Juveniles form schools of up to twodozen individuals. At about 1 inch in length, they enter tidepools, gradually moving deeper as they grow. Opaleyemature and spawn when they are roughly 8 or 9 incheslong and between 2 and 3 years old.Food and feeding habits.Opaleye primarily eat marinealgae, with or without encrustations of organisms. Otherfood sources include feather boa kelp, giant kelp, sea let-tuce, coralline algae, small tube-dwelling worms, and redcrabs.OTHER NAMESgreen perch, black perch,blue-eyed perch, bluefish,Jack Benny, button-back;Japanese:mejina;Spanish:chopa verde.Distribution.Opaleyeoccur from San Francisco,California, to Cabo SanLucas, Baja California.Habitat.This speciesinhabits rocky shorelinesand kelp beds. Concentra-tions of adults are found offCalifornia in 65 or so feet ofwater.138OpaleyeOpaleyeGirella nigricans

This small species is a member of the Carangidae family ofjacks and pompano.Identification.A bright silvery fish with a deep body, thepalometa may be grayish-green and blue above and yel-lowish on the breast. It has dark, elongated dorsal and analfins that are bordered in a bluish shade and a black-edgedtail. It also has four narrow bars that vary from black towhite and are located high on the sides. Traces of a fifth barappear near the tail.It is similar to the Florida pompano, but the front lobes ofthe dorsal and the anal fins are blackish and very elongate(the tips reach back to the middle of the caudal fin).Size.The palometa rarely reaches 1 pound in weight andis usually 7 to 14 inches long; 18 inches is its maximumlength. The all-tackle world record weighed 1 pound, 4ounces.Spawning behavior.This species is thought to spawn off-shore in the spring, the summer, and the fall.Food.Palometa feed on crustaceans, marine worms, mol-lusks, and small fish.OTHER NAMESgafftopsail pompano,joefish, longfin pompano,sand mackerel; French:carangue quatre;Por-tuguese:galhudo;Spanish:palometa, pampano.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, palometaextend from Massachusettsto Argentina, as well asthroughout the CaribbeanSea, the Gulf of Mexico, andBermuda. They are commonin the eastern and thesouthern Caribbean, occa-sional in the Bahamas andFlorida, and uncommon torare in the northwestCaribbean.Habitat.Inhabiting watersup to 35 feet deep,palometa generally formlarge schools in clearwaterareas of the surf zone,along sandy beaches andbays, occasionally aroundreefs, and in rocky areas.Palometa139PalometaTrachinotus goodei

The silver perch is a member of the Sciaenidae family (drumand croaker). It is one of the most common and abundantAtlantic drum, harvested by commercial netters but seldomprominent in the angler’s catch. This small panfishlikespecies is good to eat, but it is more likely to be used byanglers as live bait for larger predators.The closely related bairdiella, or gulf croaker (Bairdiellaicistius),is one of a number of marine species introducedsuccessfully to the Salton Sea from the Gulf of California. Itgrows to 12 inches there and is an important forage fish.Identification.The body of the silver perch is high andcompressed. As with others in the drum family, its dorsalfins are separated by a deep notch. There are five to sixpores on the chin and no barbels. Its mouth is terminal andhas finely serrated teeth. Its coloring is silvery, with yellow-ish fins and a whitish belly. It commonly has no spots.The silver perch can be distinguished from the unrelatedwhite perch by the dark stripes that line the sides. It can alsobe distinguished from the sand seatrout by its lack of promi-nent canine teeth and by its chin pores.Size/Age.The average fish is less than 12 inches long and1⁄ pound or less; it never weighs more than a pound. The2silver perch can live up to 6 years.Life history/Behavior.The silver perch migrates offshorein the winter and returns inshore to breed in the spring.Spawning occurs inshore between May and September inshallow, saline areas. Silver perch reach maturity by theirsecond or third year, when 6 inches long.Food.Adults consume crustaceans, worms, and small fish.OTHER NAMESsand perch.Distribution.Silver perchoccur from New York south-ward along the Atlanticcoast and also in the Gulf ofMexico.Habitat.The silver perch isan inshore fish, most com-mon in bays, seagrass beds,tidal creeks, small rivers,and quiet lagoons nearestuaries. It is sometimesfound in brackish marshesand also occasionally infreshwater.140Perch, SilverPerch, SilverBairdiella chrysoura

The white perch is not a true perch but a member of thetemperate bass family and a relative of the white bass andthe striped bass. It is abundant in some places, rare in oth-ers, similar enough to other species to be misidentified, andunderappreciated as table fare.Identification.The white perch has a deep, thin body thatslopes up steeply from each eye to the beginning of thedorsal fin and that is deepest under the first dorsal fin. Alarge, older specimen can be nearly humpbacked at thatspot. Colors can be olive, gray-green, silvery gray, darkbrown, or black on the back, becoming a lighter silverygreen on the sides and silvery white on the belly. The pelvicand the anal fins (both on the belly) are sometimes rosy col-ored, and the pelvic fins sit forward on the body, below thepectoral fins.Size/Age.The average white perch caught by anglersweighs about three-quarters of a pound and is 9 incheslong. The normal life span is 5 to 7 years, but white perchmay live up to 17 years. The largest white perch recorded isa 4-pound, 12-ounce specimen.Life history/Behavior.White perch spawn in the spring,usually when the water temperature is between 57° and75°F, and in shallow water. They are a schooling species thatstays in loose open-water schools through adulthood. Theydo not orient to cover and structure.Food and feeding habits.White perch are generally moreactive in low light and nocturnally, moving to surface (orinshore) waters at night, retreating to deeper water duringthe day. They eat many kinds of small fish, such as smelt, kil-lifish, and other white perch, and reportedly consumecrabs, shrimp, and small alewives and herring.OTHER NAMESsilver bass, silver perch, sea perch, bass, narrow-mouthed bass, bass perch,gray perch, bluenoseperch, humpy; French: barblanc d’Amerique.Distribution.White perchare found along the Atlanticcoast from the southernGulf of St. Lawrence toSouth Carolina and inlandalong the upper St.Lawrence River to the lowerGreat Lakes.Habitat.The adaptablewhite perch is at home insaltwater, brackish water,and freshwater. In marineenvirons, it is primarilyfound in brackish water,estuaries, and coastal riversand streams, and some ofthe latter have sea-run pop-ulations. Some white perchremain resident in brackishbays and estuaries, whereasothers roam widely insearch of food. They areconsidered demersal andtend to stay deep in theirhome waters, on or close tothe bottom.Perch, White141Perch, WhiteMorone americana

An important gamefish and a particularly prized member ofthe Carangidae family of jacks and pompano, the permit isa tough fighter and a handful on light tackle.Identification.In overall appearance, the permit is a bril-liantly silver fish with dark fins and a dark or iridescent blue togreenish or grayish back. The belly is often yellowish, andsometimes the pelvic fins and the front lobe of the anal finhave an orange tint. Many individuals have a dark, circularblack area on the sides behind the base of the pectoral fins,and some have a dusky midbody blotch. The body is laterallycompressed, and the fish has a high back profile; young fishappear roundish, adults more oblong. Small permit haveteeth on the tongue. The permit has 16 to 19 soft anal rays,and the second dorsal fin has one spine and 17 to 21 softrays, compared with 22 to 27 in the similar Florida pompano.It is further distinguished by its deeper body and a generallylarger body size. Also, the second and the third ribs in thepermit are prominent in fish weighing more than 10 pounds,and these ribs can be felt through the sides of the fish to helpin differentiating it from the Florida pompano.Size.Permit commonly weigh up to 25 pounds and are 1to 3 feet long, but they can exceed 50 pounds and reach 45inches in length. The all-tackle world record is a 56-pound,2-ounce Florida fish caught in 1997.Food and feeding habits.Over sandy bottoms, permitfeed mainly on mollusks, and over reefs they feed mostly oncrustaceans such as crabs, shrimp, and sea urchins. Likebonefish, they feed by rooting in the sand on shallow flats.OTHER NAMESFrench:carangue plume;Portuguese:sernambiguara;Spanish:palometa, pam-pano, pampano erizero,pámpano palometa.Distribution.Permit occurin the western Atlantic,ranging from Massachusettsto southeastern Brazil,including the Bahamas andmuch of the West Indies.They are most common inFlorida, the Bahamas, andthe Caribbean.Habitat.Permit inhabitshallow, warm waters indepths of up to 100 feet,and young fish preferclearer and shallower watersthan do adults. Able toadapt to a wide range ofsalinity, they occur in chan-nels or holes over sandyflats and around reefs andsometimes over mud bot-toms. They are primarily aschooling fish whenyounger, traveling in groupsof 10 or more, althoughthey are occasionally seen ingreat numbers, and theytend to become solitary with age.142PermitPermitTrachinotus falcatus

Anglers catch this species in large numbers on hook and lineand also in nets in warm temperate waters. It is used mainlyas bait for larger predators.Identification.The pigfish has long anal fins, matchingthe soft dorsal fin in shape and in size. The head is slopedand pointed, the snout almost piglike, and the lips thin. Abackground color of bluish-gray is marked with brassy spotsin indistinct lines that are horizontal below the lateral linebut extend obliquely upward and backward above the lat-eral line. These oblique markings are also found on thecheeks. The fins are yellow-bronze, with dusky margins.Age/Size.The maximum length and weight are 18 inchesand 2 pounds, but pigfish are commonly 7 to 9 inches longand weigh no more than a half pound. Pigfish normally livefor 3 years.Life history/Behavior.These schooling fish are mostlynocturnal. Spawning occurs inshore in the spring and theearly summer, prior to when the fish move into estuaries.Food.Pigfish are bottom feeders that forage on crus-taceans, worms, and small fish.OTHER NAMESSpanish:corocoro burro.Distribution.The pigfishexists in the westernAtlantic, from Massachu-setts and Bermuda to theGulf of Mexico. They aremost abundant from theChesapeake Bay south anddo not inhabit tropicalwaters.Habitat.Pigfish are foundin coastal waters over sandand mud bottoms.Pigfish143PigfishOrthopristis chrysoptera

Pilotfish are a unique and circumtropical species widelyfound in the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Indian Oceans.They are renowned for accompanying large sharks on theiroceanic wanderings, as well as whales, rays, schools of var-ious other fish, and ships. A pilotfish is said to have followeda sailing ship for 80 days.This species has no angling value but is often observed byoffshore anglers. It feeds on scraps of the host’s leftovers, aswell as on parasites, small fish, and invertebrates. Minorcommercial interest exists for this species, which is of thejack family and looks somewhat like an amberjack.The pilotfish has five to seven dark vertical bars on itselongated body and a low spinous first dorsal fin with fourspines. It can grow to a maximum of 27 inches.144PilotfishPilotfishNaucrates ductor

This abundant, small member of the Sparidae family isimportant as forage for predatory species of fish and iswidely used by anglers as bait. There was once a fairly goodcommercial fishery for pinfish, but it is now a minor one;the flesh is oily and has a strong flavor.Identification.The pinfish has a compressed panfishlikebody, with a head that is high through the area just in frontof the dorsal fin. It has a small mouth and incisorlike teethwith deeply notched edges. Its coloration is silvery overall,with yellow and blue horizontal stripes. A round black spotat the upper rear margin of each gill cover is distinctive. Thename of the species comes from the needle-sharp spines onthe first dorsal fin. All fins are yellowish.A similar small porgy, the spottail pinfish (Diplodus hol-brooki),averages less than 10 inches in length, but occa-sional larger individuals do exist. It is identified by the largeblack band across the base of the caudal peduncle and bythe black margin on the gill covers. Otherwise, the body issilvery, with only faint black bars. The spottail pinfish is com-mon over rocky bottoms and around docks and piers. In theCaribbean it is replaced by the almost identical silver porgy(D. argenteus).Size.Pinfish are capable of growing to 15 inches, but theyrarely reach 10 inches in length and are common at about7 inches. They live at least 7 years and probably longer.Food and feeding habits.Pinfish consume crustaceans,mollusks, worms, and occasionally small fish associated withgrassy habitats. They nibble at most foods, a habit thatmakes them a nuisance for anglers fishing with bait forother bottom-dwelling species.OTHER NAMESbream, saltwater bream,sailor’s choice, Canadianbream; Spanish: sargosalema.Distribution.The pinfishoccurs in the westernAtlantic, from Massachu-setts to the northern Gulf ofMexico, including Bermuda,to the Yucatán Peninsula inMexico. The spottail pinfishis found in the Gulf of Mexico and in Florida.Habitat/Spawningbehavior.Pinfish arecoastal and inshore speciesthat travel in schools, some-times in great numbers,over vegetated and some-times rocky bottoms andaround docks and pilings;they also frequent man-grove areas and may enterbrackish water or fresh-water. Pinfish move out ofcoastal waters in the winter,and spawning occurs in thewinter in offshore waters.Pinfish145PinfishLagodon rhomboides

A member of the Gadidae family, the pollock is the mostactive of the various codfish and has been popular withanglers. It is an important commercial species, taken pri-marily by trawls and gillnets, and not to be confused withanother cod family member, the Alaska, or walleye, pollock(Theragra calcogramma).A similar species sought by anglersis the European pollack (Pollachius pollachius).Identification.The pollock is olive green to greenish-brown on top and yellowish-gray on the sides and the belly,with silvery overtones. It can be distinguished from othermembers of the cod family, such as the Atlantic cod, thehaddock, and the tomcod, by three features: The lower jawof the pollock projects beyond the upper jaw, the tail isforked, and the lateral line is quite straight, not archingabove the pectoral fins. A young pollock has codlike barbelson the chin, but these are small and usually disappear withage. The European pollack is distinguished from the pollockby its lateral line, which is decurved over the pectoral fins.Size/Age.Pollock can grow to 3 ⁄ feet, although most1 2adults are much smaller. The average fish weighs between4 and 15 pounds. The all-tackle record is 50 pounds. Aslow-growing fish, the pollock reaches about 30 inches atage 9. They have been reported to live as long as 31 years,but few pollock live longer than 12 years.Life history/Behavior.The spawning season for pollockis in the late autumn and the early winter. Their eggs arefree-floating and drift on the surface, and for the first 3months, larvae are present on or near the surface. Juvenilestravel in large, tightly packed schools near the surface.Food.Pollock feed in large schools on small herring, smallcod, and their relatives, and on sand eels and various tinycrustaceans.OTHER NAMEScoalfish, Boston bluefish,green cod, blisterback,saithe, coley.Distribution.In NorthAmerica, pollock range fromGreenland and Labradorsouth to Virginia.Habitat.Generally a deepor midwater fish, the pollockprefers rocky bottoms inwaters shallower than thosecod or haddock prefer. Theyoccur in depths of up to 100 fathoms, although theyare found as shallow as 4fathoms.146PollockPollockPollachius virens

The African pompano is the largest and most widespreadmember of the Carangidae family of jacks and pompano,surrounded by a great deal of confusion because untilrecently, adults and young were classified as entirely differ-ent species. A strong fighter and an excellent light-tacklegamefish, it is a superb food fish and is marketed fresh orsalted/dried.Identification.The most striking characteristic of theAfrican pompano is the four to six elongated, threadlike fil-aments that extend from the front part of the second dor-sal and the anal fins. These filaments tend to disappear orerode as the fish grows.The body shape of the African pompano changes as itgrows; starting out short and deep, it becomes more elon-gated by the time the fish is 14 inches long, and the fore-head becomes steeper and blunter. In both young andadult fish, their bodies are strongly compressed, and therear halves of their body are triangular. The lateral linearches smoothly but steeply above the pectoral fins and has24 to 38 relatively weak scutes in the straight portion and120 to 140 scales. Shiny and silvery on the whole, a largerfish may be light bluish-green on the back; on all fish, theremay be dark blotches on the operculums on the top part ofthe caudal peduncles, as well as on the front part of the sec-ond dorsal and the anal fins. A young African pompano hasfive to six ventral bars.Size.This species is known to attain a length of 42 inchesand can grow to 60 pounds; the all-tackle world record is a50-pound, 8-ounce Florida fish. Twenty- to 30-poundersare common in South Florida.Food.African pompano feed on sedentary or slow-movingcrustaceans, on small crabs, and occasionally on small fish.OTHER NAMESCuban jack, Atlanticthreadfin, pennantfish,threadfin mirrorfish,trevally; Afrikaans: draad-vin-spie lvis;Arabic:bambo,tailar;French:aile ronde,carangue, cordonnier;Hawaiian:papio, ulua;Malay/Indonesian:cermin,ebek, rambai landeh;Portuguese:xaréu africano;Spanish:caballa, chicuaca,elechudo, jurel de pluma,paja blanco, palometa,pampano, sol, zapatero.Distribution.African pom-pano occur in the westernAtlantic from Massachusettsand Bermuda to Brazil, aswell as throughout theCaribbean Sea and the Gulfof Mexico. In the easternPacific, they range fromMexico to Peru.Habitat.Inhabiting watersup to 300 feet deep, Africanpompano often prefer to benear the bottom over rockyreefs and around wrecks.They may form small, some-what polarized, schools,although they are usuallysolitary in the adult stage.Pompano, African147Pompano, AfricanAlectis ciliaris