Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish

A member of the Carangidae family of jacks and pompanos,the Florida pompano is an excellent gamefish for its size andis an exciting catch on light tackle. It is also considered agourmet food fish because of its delicately flavored andfinely textured meat.Identification.Mostly silvery when alive, the Florida pom-pano is one of the few fish that is more striking in color afterdeath. It then has greenish-gray or dark blue shading on theback and a golden cast to the belly and the fins. Deep- ordark-water fish tend to also have gold on the throats and onthe pelvic and the anal fins; young fish tend to have yel-lowish bellies, anal fins, and tails. The Florida pompano hasa deep, flattened body; a short, blunt snout with a smallmouth; and a deeply forked tail. Unlike most jacks, it has noscutes on the caudal peduncle. The first and spinous dorsalfin is very low and usually hard to see, whereas the seconddorsal fin has one spine and 22 to 27 soft dorsal rays. Theanal fin, which begins slightly farther back on the bodythan the second dorsal fin, has three spines and 20 to 23soft anal rays. The Florida pompano is similar to the permit,although the permit is deeper-bodied and tends to be amuch larger fish, growing to 40 pounds.Size/Age.The Florida pompano has an estimated life spanof 3 to 4 years. It rarely grows larger than 6 pounds and 25inches long, and usually weighs less than 3 pounds. The all-tackle world record is an 8-pound, 1-ounce Florida fish.Spawning behavior.Reaching sexual maturity at the endof their first year, Florida pompano spawn offshore betweenMarch and September, with a peak of activity from Aprilthrough June.Food.Florida pompano feed on mollusks, crustaceans, andother invertebrates and small fish.OTHER NAMESPortuguese:pampo,pampo-verdadeiro;Spanish:palometa, pampano, pampano-amarillo.Distribution.Floridapompano range from Mass-achusetts to Brazil andthroughout the Gulf of Mex-ico. They are most promi-nent from the ChesapeakeBay to Florida and west toTexas and are abundant inthe warm waters of Floridaand the Caribbean.Habitat.Inhabitinginshore and nearshorewaters, adult Florida pom-pano occur along sandybeaches, including oysterbars, grassbeds, and inlets,and often in the turbidwater of brackish bays andestuaries. They usually pre-fer shallow water but mayoccur in water as deep as130 feet. Florida pompanogenerally form small tolarge schools that travelclose to the shore andmigrate northward andsouthward along theAtlantic coast, staying inwaters with temperaturesbetween 82° and 89°F.148Pompano, FloridaPompano, FloridaTrachinotus carolinus

The Sparidae family of porgies comprise roughly 112species, and as a group they have worldwide distribution inthe tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, thePacific, and the Indian Oceans, although a few range intocooler waters.Porgies are similar to grunts, but their bodies are evenmore flattened from side to side, or compressed, and highthrough the area just in front of the dorsal fins. As in somegrunts, a porgy’s eyes are located high on the head and justbehind the posterior margin of the mouth. The second, orsoft, dorsal fin and the anal fin are both large and are aboutthe same shape.Porgies are medium-size to small. Some live close toshore, others in offshore waters. They are prevalent aroundreefs, but some are found only over sandy bottoms; othersinhabit rocky bottoms. Most species can change their colorsfrom solid to blotched or barred and from dark to light,effecting a better camouflage. They are omnivorous andtypically travel in schools. Included in the group are a num-ber of species that are harvested for food. Many also pro-vide good, generally light-tackle, sport for anglers. They arerelatively easy to catch and, for their size, put up a strongfight.In the United States, porgies, like grunts, are predomi-nantly an Atlantic species off the coast. The scup (Stenoto-mus chrysops)averages less than 10 inches in length but isone of the most prominent members of this family. It is val-ued by both anglers and commercial fishermen along thenortheastern and mid-Atlantic U.S. coast. The joltheadporgy(Calamus bajonado)is one of a large group of porgiesfound in warm waters of the Caribbean and off southernFlorida, occasionally drifting with the Gulf Stream as farnorth as Bermuda. Distinctively shaped, it is the largestmember of its genus.Porgies149PorgiesScupStenotomus chrysops

A member of the Sparidae family, which includes about 112species, the jolthead is an excellent food fish with somecommercial value and a species that bottom-probinganglers often encounter along the eastern United States; ithas been associated with ciguatera, however. The commonname presumably comes from the fish’s habit of using itshead to bump or jolt clams or other mollusks loose fromtheir attachments.Identification.The high, rounded forehead gives thebody a distinctive profile, typical of the genus. It eyes arelarge and are located high on the head. Yellowish-brown,with an almost metallic luster, it may be blotched withdusky splotches or nearly solid in color, depending on thebottom over which it is swimming. Some individuals aregrayish. Over each eye is a blue streak, and sometimes thereare faint blue lengthwise stripes on the body. The caudal finis lunate (crescent-shaped).Size.Among the largest of the porgies, this species is typ-ically 20 inches long, but it can attain a length of 26 inchesand a weight of 23 pounds. The all-tackle world record is a23-pound, 4-ounce specimen.Food and feeding behavior.The diet of jolthead porgiesis sea urchins, crabs, and mollusks. Small schools are oftenseen feeding near shore.OTHER NAMESporgy; Spanish: plumabajonado.Distribution.The joltheadporgy occurs in the westernAtlantic, from Rhode Islandto the northern Gulf of Mex-ico, including Bermuda, andsouth to Brazil. It is mostabundant in the WestIndies.Habitat.The joltheadoccurs in coastal environsover vegetated sand bot-toms and more frequentlyon coral bottoms between20 and 150 feet deep.Large adults are usually solitary.150Porgy, JoltheadPorgy, JoltheadCalamus bajonado

The queenfish is a small croaker and a member of the Sci-aenidae family (drum and croaker). Essentially a panfish-sizebottom scrounger, it is not an esteemed sport or food fish,but it is commonly caught from Pacific coast piers and maybe desirable as whole or cut bait for other species.Identification.The queenfish has an elongated, moder-ately compressed body. The upper profile is depressed overthe eyes, and it has a large mouth. Its coloring is bluishabove and becomes silvery below. The fins are yellowish.This species is distinguished from other croaker by its largemouth; by the base of its second dorsal and anal fins, whichare roughly equal; and by the wide space between its twodorsal fins. There is no chin barbel on the lower jaw.Size.The maximum length of the queenfish is 12 inches,but most fish are considerably smaller.Spawning behavior.Spawning occurs along the coast inthe summer. The eggs are free floating, and newly hatchedjuveniles appear in the late summer and the fall; they grad-ually move shoreward from depths of 20 to 30 feet into thesurf zone.Food.Queenfish feed on small, free-swimming crus-taceans, crabs, and fish.OTHER NAMESherring, herring croaker,kingfish, shiner, queencroaker; Spanish: corvinareina.Distribution.The queen-fish is found along thePacific coast, from YaquinaBay, Oregon, to Uncle SamBank in Baja California,Mexico. It is common inSouthern California but rarenorth of Monterey.Habitat.Queenfish com-monly inhabit shallow waterover sandy bottoms in thesummer. They mostly occurin water from 4 to 25 feetdeep but have been knownto dwell as deep as 180feet. They often gather intightly packed schools,sometimes with whitecroaker, in shallow sandyareas near pilings and piers,and they migrate to deeperwater at night.Queenfish (Croaker)151Queenfish (Croaker)Seriphus politus

The various families that belong to the order of fish knownas Rajiformes are generally referred to as rays and skates andinclude such groupings as sawfish, guitarfish, electric rays,stingrays, eagle rays, manta rays, and skates. Among thedominant distinguishing features of this order are gill open-ings wholly on the ventral surface and forward edges of thepectoral fins connected with the sides of the head and situ-ated forward, past the five pairs of gill openings; eyeballsnot free from the upper edges of the orbits, as they are insharks; and no anal fin.Most Rajiformes are easily recognized by their form. Theirbodies are flattened dorso-ventrally, and the pectoral finsextend widely and seem to be part of their bodies. The tailsections are more or less defined from their bodies, theireyes and spiracles are on the top side, and their mouths andthe entire lengths of the gill openings are situated on thebottom side.Most Rajiformes live on the bottom or close to it and arecomparatively sluggish. Some lie buried in the sand or mudmost of the time and are poor swimmers. Skates are capa-ble of swift propulsion when necessary, although they usu-ally swim slowly and close to the bottom. Sawfish alsospend a good part of the time along the bottom but rise topursue fish. Eagle rays are quite active and often swim closeto the surface, although they feed on the bottom. Mantasspend most of their lives swimming near the surface or nottoo far beneath it.Rays and skates subsist on a variety of animal food,including all available invertebrates that inhabit sandy ormuddy bottoms. Eagle rays, as a group, prefer hard-shelledmollusks, while sawfish occasionally leave their bottom for-aging to crash into a school of closely packed fish. Electricrays are strictly fish eaters, sometimes taking surprisingly152Rays and SkatesRays and SkatesLesser Electric RayAtlantic Manta

large prey in comparison to their size. Mantas feed on tinyplankton, small crustaceans, and small fish.Members of this clan range in size from only a few inchesto giant mantas with a breadth of about 23 feet. The spec-tacularly armed sawfish reach a length of more than 20 feet.The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)is commonly 15feet long and sometimes reaches a length of 20 feet. It canweigh as much as 800 pounds. This species occurs through-out warm Atlantic waters from North Carolina to Brazil.One of the most common stingrays alongthe Atlantic coast of North America is thebluntnose stingray (Dasyatis say),whichmeasures about 3 feet across its pectorals. Itranges from New Jersey to Argentina and iswidespread in the West Indies. The Atlanticstingray(D. sabina)measures only slightlymore than a foot across its wings, which arevery rounded. This yellowish-brown stingrayoccurs from Chesapeake Bay to southernFlorida and the Gulf of Mexico. More com-mon than the Atlantic stingray and rangingfrom New Jersey to Argentina is the southernstingray(D. americana),which averagesabout 3 feet wide. On the underside of itstail, just behind the spine, are finlike folds;above them, the tail is keeled.The little skate (R. erinacea)is the mostcommon skate species along the Atlanticcoast of North America, ranging from NovaScotia to North Carolina. It is about 1 ⁄ feet1 2long and weighs only about a pound. Thebig skate (R. binoculata),reaches a length of8 feet and occurs from the Bering Sea andthe Aleutians to Baja California, Mexico. Themore abundant California skate (R. inornata)averages about 2 feet in length and has fourto five rows of prickly spines on its tail; itoccurs from British Columbia to central BajaCalifornia. The barndoor skate (R. laevis)isone of the most aggressive of all skates andgrows to a length of about 5 feet. It is com-mon from Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras.Rays and Skates153Rays and Skates(continued)Skate Egg CaseCommon SkateAtlantic StingraySouthern StingraySmalltooth Sawfish

Members of the Echeneidae family, remoras and sharksuck-ers are slim fish that have a flat sucking disk on the top oftheir heads. They attach themselves usually to sharks orother fish—including marlin, grouper, and rays—but some-times to the bottoms of boats or other objects. These hitch-hikers take effortless rides with their hosts, feeding onparasitic copepods found on the hosts’ bodies and gillchambers.Developed from the first dorsal fin, the sucking disk con-sists of a series of ridges and spaces that create a vacuumbetween the remora and the surface to which it attaches. Bysliding backward, the remora can increase the suction, or itcan release itself by swimming forward.The sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates),which averages 1 ⁄1 2feet in length but may be as much as 38 inches long andcan weigh up to 2 pounds, is the largest member of thefamily. Worldwide in distribution in warm seas, it is graywith a broad, white-edged black band down each side,tapering to the tail. It prefers sharks and rays as hosts andoften enters shallow beach and coastal areas; it has beenknown on rare occasions to attach itself to bathers or divers.Also cosmopolitan is the remora (Remora remora),whichis common to 12 inches long and may attain a length of 34inches. It is black or dark brown and is also found world-wide. It, too, prefers sharks as hosts. Some other speciesshow distinct host preferences. The whalesucker (R. aus-tralis),for example, generally fastens itself to a whale; thespearfish remora (R. brachyptera)commonly attaches to bill-fish such as marlin.Although often observed by anglers, remoras have noangling merits.154RemorasRemorasSharksuckerEcheneis naucrates

A diverse and important group of marine fish, rockfish aremembers of the Scorpaenidae family, which includes 310species generically characterized as scorpionfish. Rockfishmay be referred to as rock cod, sea bass, snapper, andocean perch because of their resemblance to these speciesor to the quality of their fillets, but the latter species are notrelated to rockfish.Identification.Adult rockfish range in size from 5 to 41inches, but most species grow to between 20 and 24 inchesin length. The rockfish is characterized by bony plates orspines on the head and the body, a large mouth, and pelvicfins attached forward near the pectoral fins. The spines arevenomous, and although not extremely toxic, they can stillcause pain and infection. Some species are brightly colored.Rockfish appear somewhat perchlike or basslike and areoften called sea bass.Food.Adult rockfish feed on a variety of food items. Adultsfeed on sand lance, herring, and small rockfish, as well ascrustaceans.Common species.The most common species encoun-tered in Alaska include the black (Sebastes melanops),thecopper(S. caurinus),the dusky (S. ciliatus),the quillback (S. maliger),and the yelloweye (S. ruberrimus).Common species in Washington include the black, thecopper, the quillback, and the yelloweye.Common species in Oregon include the black, the blue(S. mystinus),the bocaccio (S. paucispinis),the China (S. neb-ulosis),the copper, the Pacific ocean perch (S. alutus),andthe yelloweye.Common species in California include the black, the blue,the bocaccio, the canary (S. pinniger),the chilipepper (S.goodei),the copper, the cowcod (S. levis),the greenspotted(S. chlorostictus),the olive (S. serranoides),the starry (S. con-stellatus),the vermilion (S. miniatus),the widow (S. entome-las),and the yellowtail (S. flavidus).Distribution.There areroughly 68 species of rock-fish in the genus Sebastesand two in the genus Sebas-tolobusthat are found alongthe coasts of North America.Nearly all occur in Pacificwaters.Habitat.Rockfish can generally be separated intothose that live in the shal-lower nearshore waters ofthe continental shelf andthose that live in deeperwaters on the edge of thecontinental shelf. The for-mer comprise species thatare always found in rockybottom areas (called shelfdemersal by biologists) andthose that spend much oftheir time up in the watercolumn and off the bottom(shelf pelagic).Rockfish155RockfishBocaccioSebastes paucispinis

A member of the Scorpaenidae family, the black rockfish iswidely distributed in the eastern Pacific. It is an excellentfood fish.Identification.The body of the black rockfish is oval oregg shaped and compressed. The head has a steep upperprofile that is almost straight; the mouth is large and thelower jaw projects slightly. The eyes are moderately large.The color is brown to black on the back, paler on the sides,and dirty white below. There are black spots on the dorsalfin. This species is easily confused with the blue rockfish;however, the anal fin of the black rockfish is rounded,whereas the anal fin of the blue rockfish is slanted orstraight. The black rockfish has spots on the dorsal fin, andthe blue rockfish does not.Size.This species can attain a length of 25 inches and aweight of 11 pounds. The largest recorded weighed 10 ⁄1 2pounds.Life history/Behavior.Like all members of its family, theblack rockfish is ovoviviparous, with egg fertilization anddevelopment taking place in the body of the mother. Whenembryonic development is complete, the female releasesthe eggs; the exposure to seawater activates the embryo,and it escapes from the egg case. The young hatch in thespring and form large schools off the bottom in estuariesand tide pools in the summer. Adults may be abundant inthe summer in shallow water near kelp-lined shores, butthey occupy deeper water in the fall and the winter. Theymay school over rocky reefs from the bottom to the surfaceand are caught at varied depths, from near the surface to1,200 feet.Food.The diet of black rockfish includes squid, crabs’ eggs,and fish. They are occasionally observed feeding on sandlance on the surface. Salmon anglers sometimes catch thisfish on trolled herring.OTHER NAMESblack snapper, black bass,gray rockfish, red snapper,sea bass, black rock cod.Distribution.Black rock-fish occur from ParadiseCove, California, toAmchitka Island, Alaska.Habitat.This wide-ranging fish can live on thesurface or on the bottom to1,200 feet near rocky reefsor in open water over deepbanks or dropoffs. Offshoreand deep-water individualsare larger than nearshorespecimens.156Rockfish, BlackRockfish, BlackSebastes melanops

sh is a member of the Scorpaenidae fam-fiThe copper rockily and is a widely distributed, hardy species. It oftenappears in aquarium displays.Identification.sh is moder-fiThe body of the copper rockately deep and compressed. The head is large, with ale; the mouth is large, and thefislightly curved upper prolower jaw projects slightly. Its coloring is copper brown toorange tinged with pink. The back two-thirds of the sidesalong the lateral line are light, the belly is white, and thereare usually two dark bands radiating backward from eacheye.Size.This species can attain a length of 22 to 23 inchesand a weight of 10 pounds.Life history.Copper rockfish are ovoviviparous, like allspecies in the genus Sebastes.Food and feeding habits.The diet of copper rockfishincludes snails, worms, squid, octopus, crabs, shrimp, andsh.fiOTHER NAMESnever die, whitebelly,chucklehead, rock cod,bass.Distribution.The coppersh occurs from the SanfirockBenitos Islands, Baja Califor-nia, to the Kenai Peninsula,Alaska.Habitat.sh isfiThis commonly found in shallowrocky and sandy areas andis generally caught atdepths of less than 180 feet;however, some have beentaken as deep as 600 feet.sh, CopperfiRock157Rockfish, CopperSebastes caurinus

Also a member of the Scorpaenidae family, the yelloweyerockfish is known to many anglers as “red snapper,”although it bears only a slight resemblance to a true snap-per. It is one of many red to yellow species in the easternPacific, however, and resembles several others, makingeshflcult. The large size and the excellent fication diffiidentiof this species make it a favorite among anglers.Identification.The yelloweye rockfish is orange-red toorange-yellow in body coloration; it has bright-yellow irisesnsfiand black pupils and a raspy ridge above the eyes. The may be black at the margins. An adult usually has a light(perhaps white) band on the lateral line. A juvenile has twolight bands, one on the lateral line and one shorter linesh, the yelloweye is afibelow the lateral line. A large rocksh through the head and “shoulders.”fiheavy-boned, spiny Size/Age.sh can attain a length of 36fiThe yelloweye rockinches and can weigh up to 33 pounds. The all-tackle worldsh that weighed 39 pounds, 4 ounces.firecord is an Alaskan Life history.sh are ovoviviparous, like allfiYelloweye rockspecies in the genus Sebastes.Food.sh,fish includes assorted fiThe diet of yelloweye rockcrustaceans, squid, and shrimp.OTHER NAMESred snapper, raspheadsh, turkey-red rock-firocksh.fiDistribution.This speciesoccurs from the Gulf ofAlaska to Baja California,Mexico.Habitat.Rocky reefs andelds, from 10 tofiboulder 300 fathoms, are the usualhaunts of yelloweye rock-sh. They are abundantfiduring the summer in shal-low water along kelp-linedshores and are found indeeper water at other times.158sh, YelloweyefiRockRockfish, YelloweyeSebastes ruberrimus

The roosterfish is a superb light-tackle gamefish and a mem-ber of the Carangidae family of jacks, so named for thecomb of long dorsal fin spines that extends far above thebody of the fish. It has been exploited at a local levelbecause of its excellent quality as a food fish and is mar-keted fresh.Identification.A striking, iridescent fish, the roosterfish ischaracterized by seven long, threadlike dorsal fin spines,which are found even on young fish. This comb stands erectwhen the roosterfish is excited, as when threatened, butordinarily, the fin remains lowered in a sheath along theback. There are also two dark, curved stripes on the bodyand a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin.Size.Roosterfish can grow to 4 feet in length and exceed100 pounds. The all-tackle world record is a 114-pound fishtaken off Baja California in 1960.Food and feeding habits.Roosterfish consume assortedsmall fish, with large roosters (50 pounds and over) beingcapable of capturing even bonito up to 2 pounds in size.When found along beaches, they may be in schools andmay feed competitively, with various members of a schoolsimultaneously chasing bait, or lures, for considerable dis-tances.OTHER NAMESSpanish:papagallo, gallo,pez de gallo, reje pluma.Distribution.Endemic tothe eastern Pacific, rooster-fish occur from SanClemente in Southern California to Peru, includingthe Galápagos Islands; theyare rare north of Baja Cali-fornia, Mexico.Habitat.Roosterfishinhabit shallow inshoreareas, such as sandy shoresalong beaches. They areoften found around rockoutcroppings and rockyislands. Young fish are oftenfound in tidal pools.Roosterfish159RoosterfishNematistius pectoralis

The blue runner is a small, spunky member of the Carangi-dae family that is valued as bait for big-game fishing. It is anexcellent food fish and is marketed fresh, frozen, and salted.Identification.The body of the blue runner is bluish-greento brassy, silvery, or light olive above. There is a black, some-what elongated spot near the upper end of the gill cover,and there may be faint bluish bars on the body. A charac-teristic feature is the blackish shading on the tips of the tailfins. The blue runner is easily distinguished from the crevallejack because it lacks the dark blotch found on the pectoralfins of that fish.Size.This species usually weighs less than 1 pound and istypically 1 foot long; the all-tackle world record is an 11-pound, 2-ounce fish taken off Alabama.Life history.Sexually mature when they reach 9 to 10inches in length, blue runners spawn offshore from Januarythrough August.Food.Blue runners feed primarily on fish, shrimp, squid,and other invertebrates.OTHER NAMEShardtail, hard-tailed jack,runner; French: caranguecoubali;Greek:kokali;Italian:carangidi, carangidomediterraneo;Portuguese:carangídeos, xaralete;Spanish:atún, cojinua,cojinúa negra, cojinuda.Distribution.In the west-ern Atlantic, blue runnersoccur from Nova Scotia toBrazil, including theCaribbean and the Gulf ofMexico.Habitat.Blue runnersinhabit offshore waters inlarge schools. They areoccasionally found overreefs, sometimes in pairs orsolitary. Young fish fre-quently linger around sar-gassum and other floatingobjects.160Runner, BlueRunner, BlueCaranx crysos

A member of the Carangidae family of jacks, the rainbowrunner does not look like other jacks because it is a muchslimmer, more streamlined fish. It is also an excellent foodfish, with firm, white flesh, marketed fresh and salted/dried.In Japan, the rainbow runner is cooked with a special sauceor eaten raw and is considered a delicacy.Identification.The rainbow runner is blue-green aboveand white or silver below, with a yellow or pink cast. Onboth sides, there is a broad, dark-blue, horizontal stripefrom the snout to the base of the tail; a narrow, pale-bluestripe immediately below it that runs through each eye; apale to brilliant-yellow stripe below that; and then anothernarrow pale-blue stripe. The tail is yellow and the other finsare a greenish- or olive yellow. The rainbow runner has aslender body that is more elongated than those of mostother jacks. The first dorsal fin has six spines and the secondhas one spine and 25 to 27 connected soft rays. Behind thisis a 2-rayed finlet. The anal fin has a single detached spinewith 16 to 18 soft rays, followed by a 2-rayed finlet. Therainbow runner is similar to the cobia in shape but can bedistinguished by its coloring, as well as by the finlets thatfollow the dorsal and the anal fins.Size.The rainbow runner is typically 2 to 3 feet long,although it can reach 4 feet and 22 pounds. The all-tackleworld record is a 37-pound, 9-ounce Mexican fish.Food.Rainbow runners feed on invertebrates, small fish,and squid.OTHER NAMESrunner, rainbow yellowtail,skipjack, shoemaker,Hawaiian salmon, prodigalson; Creole: caranguesaumon, dauphin vert,sorcier;French:caranguearc-en-ciel, comère saumon;Hawaiian:kamanu; Japan-ese: taumuburi;Spanish:cola amarilla, corredores,macarela, pez rata, salmon,sardinata.Distribution.Foundworldwide in marine waters,the rainbow runner occursin the western Atlantic, fromMassachusetts throughoutthe northern Gulf of Mexicoto northeastern Brazil. Inthe eastern Pacific, it occursfrom the mouth of the Gulfof California, Mexico, toEcuador, including the Galápagos Islands.Habitat.Rainbow runnersform either small polarizedgroups or large schools thatusually remain at or nearthe surface, although theycan inhabit depths of up to120 feet. They occur overreefs and in deep, clearlagoons, preferring areaswith a current.Runner, Rainbow161Runner, RainbowElagatis bipinnulata

With its characteristic large dorsal fin and superlative aerialability, the sailfish is arguably the most striking member ofthe Istiophoridae family of billfish. Although present taxon-omy suggests that the Atlantic and the Pacific sailfish are thesame species, some experts are not yet convinced. It haslong been believed that Indo-Pacific specimens of sailfishattain a much greater size than do their Atlantic counter-parts (and this is reflected in record catches), but a recentstudy of size data from the Japanese longline fishery pro-vided evidence that eastern Atlantic specimens (identifiedby some ichthyologists as I. albicans) can attain much largersizes than previously recorded.The speedy sailfish is among the most exciting light-tacklebig-game fish to catch. Light conventional gear, as well asspinning, baitcasting, and fly outfits, are all suitable for pur-suing sailfish. The smaller specimens found in the Atlanticare especially good fun and are relatively easy for even inex-perienced anglers to enjoy. Sailfish are rarely kept by westernAtlantic anglers (and many are tagged when released) butare commonly kept in other places, especially off Mexicoand Central America. They do have commercial significancein many parts of their range and are heavily exploited.Identification.The sailfish is dark blue on top, brown-bluelaterally, and silvery white on the belly; the upper jaw is elon-gated in the form of a spear. This species’ outstanding featureis the long, high first dorsal fin, which has 37 to 49 total ele-ments; it is slate or cobalt blue with many black spots. Thesecond dorsal fin is very small, with six to eight rays. The sin-gle, prominent lateral line is curved over the pectoral fin andotherwise straight along the median line of the flanks. Thebill is longer than that of the spearfish, usually a little morethan twice the length of the elongated lower jaw. The vent isjust forward of the first anal fin. The sides often have pale,bluish-gray vertical bars or rows or spots.OTHER NAMESspindlebeak, bayonetfish;French:voilier, espadonvela;Hawaiian:a’u lepe;Italian:pesce vela, pesceventaglio;Japanese:bashôkajiki;Portuguese:veleiro, algulhão;Spanish:pez vela, aguja voladora,aguja de faralá, aguja deabanico.Distribution/Habitat.Sailfish occur worldwide intropical and temperatewaters of the Atlantic, theIndian, and the PacificOceans. They are pelagicand migratory in warm off-shore waters, although theymay migrate into warmnearshore areas in parts oftheir range. In the easternPacific, sailfish range fromBaja California, Mexico, toPeru, and in the westernAtlantic from Massachusettsto Brazil. They are mostcommon in warm watersalong the edges of the GulfStream.162SailfishSailfishIstiophorus platypterus

Although sailfish look like similar-size white marlin andblue marlin, they are readily distinguished by their large sail-like dorsal fin.Size/Age.Sportfishing records for sailfish have long beenmaintained by the International Game Fish Association(IGFA), according to their Atlantic and Indo-Pacific distribu-tion; the all-tackle world record for Atlantic fish is a 141-pounder caught off Angola in 1994; its counterpart in thePacific is a 221-pounder caught off Ecuador in 1947. Fishfrom 20 to 50 or 60 pounds are commonly caught off theeastern United States, and fish from 50 to 100 pounds arecommon in many places in the Pacific. They can exceed 10feet in length.Life history/Behavior.Like other pelagic species thatspawn in the open sea, the sailfish produces large numbersof eggs, perhaps 4 to 5 million. These are fertilized in theopen water, where they float with plankton until hatching.Sailfish grow rapidly and reportedly can attain 4 to 5 feet inlength in their first year. They reportedly swim at speedsapproaching 68 mph, making them the swiftest short-distance gamefish. Sailfish may form schools or smallgroups of from 3 to 30 individuals and sometimes travel inloose aggregations spread over a wide area. They appear tofeed mostly in midwater along the edges of reefs or currenteddies.Food and feeding habits.Sailfish eat squid, octopus,mackerel, tuna, jacks, herring, ballyhoo, needlefish, flying-fish, mullet, and other small fish. They feed on the surfaceor at mid-depths.Sailfish163Sailfish(continued)

The only salmon in the Salmonidae family that occurs in theAtlantic Ocean and its tributaries, the Atlantic salmon hasbeen coveted for its excellent flesh since recorded history.Identification.Compared to the size of its body, a matureAtlantic salmon has a small head. Its body is long and slim,and in adults the caudal or tail fin is nearly square. Individu-als that return to spawn prematurely (called grilse) aremostly males and have slightly forked tails. At sea, theAtlantic salmon is dark blue on top of its head and back; itssides are a shiny silver, and the belly is white. The fins aredark, and there are numerous black marks in the shape of anX or a Y on its head and along its body above the lateral line.When the fish enters freshwater to spawn, it gradually losesits metallic shine and becomes dull brown or yellowish.Size/Age.The Atlantic salmon can live for 8 years and isthe second largest of all salmon. Unofficial historical reportstalk of specimens weighing as much as 100 pounds. The all-tackle world record, a specimen weighing 79 pounds, 2ounces, was taken in Norway in 1928. Most specimenstoday weigh 20 pounds or less, and fish exceeding 30pounds are rare.Spawning behavior.Spawning usually occurs in gravelbottoms at the head of riffles or the tail of a pool in theevening or at night. Unlike Pacific salmon, the adults do notdie after spawning. Exhausted and thin, they often return tosea immediately before winter or remain in the stream untilspring. Some survive to spawn a second time.Food.In the ocean, salmon grow rapidly, feeding on crus-taceans and other fish such as smelt, alewives, herring,capelin, mackerel, and cod. They do not feed during theirupstream spawning migration.OTHER NAMESsea-run fish, grilse, grilt,fiddler, Kennebec salmon;Danish and Norwegian:laks;Dutch:zalm;Finnish:lohi;French:saumon Atlan-tique, saumon d’eau douce;German: lachs, las, salm;Italian:salmo, salmone;Japanese:sake masu-rui;Portuguese:salmao;Russian:losos;Spanish:salmón del Atlantico;Swedish:lax.Distribution.The anadro-mous Atlantic salmon isnative to the North AtlanticOcean and coastal rivers.Native anadromous Atlanticsalmon have been extir-pated from most of theirmore southerly range, vic-tims of industrial growth,dams, pollution, and otherfactors. Self-supporting runsof anadromous Atlanticsexist in Canada, especiallyQuebec, but also in New-foundland, New Brunswick,and Nova Scotia.Habitat.AnadromousAtlantic salmon spend mostof their lives in the ocean,ascending coastal rivers tospawn. They are found infreshwater only during theirspawning runs.164Salmon, AtlanticSalmon, AtlanticSalmo salar

The chinook salmon is one of the most important sportfishand commercial fish in the world, especially, and histori-cally, to the Pacific coast of North America, where this andother salmonids have long had great cultural and food sig-nificance. It is the largest member of the Salmonidae familyand both the largest and the least-abundant member of thePacific salmon genus Oncorhynchus.Pacific stocks of chinook, as well as of other Pacificsalmonids, however, have suffered greatly throughout largeportions of their range due to dams, other habitat alter-ations, pollution, and excessive commercial fishing. Somechinook runs in the Pacific Northwest are threatened orendangered.Identification.The body of the chinook salmon is elon-gate and somewhat compressed. The head is conical. Formost of its life, the chinook’s color is bluish to dark grayabove, becoming silvery on the sides and the belly. Thereare black spots on the back, the upper sides, the top of thehead, and all the fins, including both the top and the bot-tom half of the tail fin. Coloration changes during upstreammigration; spawning chinook salmon range from red tocopper to olive brown to almost black, depending on loca-tion and degree of maturation, and they undergo a radicalmetamorphosis. Males are more deeply colored than thefemales and are distinguished by their “ridgeback” condi-tion and by their hooked nose or upper jaw, known as akype. The young have 6 to 12 long, wide, well-developedparr marks, which are bisected by the lateral line, and nospots on the dorsal fin.One distinguishing feature of the chinook is its blackmouth and gums. The very similar-looking coho salmonhas a black mouth but white gums.Size.This species is the largest of all Pacific salmon; indi-vidual fish commonly exceed 30 pounds in Alaska andBritish Columbia and 20 pounds elsewhere. A 126-poundchinook salmon taken in a fish trap near Petersburg, OTHER NAMESking salmon, springsalmon, tyee, quinnat,tule, blackmouth,Sacramento River salmon,Columbia River salmon;French:saumon chinook,saumon royal;Japanese:masunosuke.Distribution/Habitat.InNorth America, chinooksalmon occur naturally fromSan Luis Obispo County inSouthern California to theChukchi Sea area of Alaska;the greatest concentrationsare along the British Colum-bia coast and Alaska. InAlaska, where the chinook isthe state fish, it is abundantfrom the southeastern pan-handle to the Yukon River.Major populations return tothe Yukon, the Kuskokwim,the Nushagak, the Susitna,the Kenai, the Copper, theAlsek, the Taku, and theStikine Rivers. Importantruns also occur in manysmaller streams. Thechinook is rare in the ArcticOcean. Most sea-runchinook are encountered byanglers along the coastsand in spawning rivers.Scientists estimate thatthere are in excess of aSalmon, Chinook165Salmon, ChinookOncorhynchus tshawytscha

Alaska, in 1949 is the largest known specimen. The all-tackle world-sportfishing record is a 97-pound, 4-ounce fishcaught in Alaska’s Kenai River in 1986.Life history/Behavior.Like all species of Pacific salmon,chinook are anadromous. They hatch in freshwater rivers,spend part of their lives in the ocean, and then spawn infreshwater. Sea-run chinook salmon may become sexuallymature from their second through seventh year; as a result,fish in any spawning run may vary greatly in size.Chinook salmon often make extensive freshwater spawn-ing migrations to reach their home streams on some of thelarger coastal river systems. Yukon River spawners bound forthe extreme headwaters in Yukon Territory, Canada, willtravel more than 2,000 river miles during a 60-day period.The period of migration into spawning rivers and streamsvaries greatly. Alaskan streams normally receive a single runof chinook salmon from May through July.Chinook salmon do not feed during their freshwaterspawning migration, so their condition deteriorates gradu-ally during the spawning run. During that time, they usestored body materials for energy and for the developmentof reproductive products. Each female deposits from 3,000to 14,000 eggs (usually in the lower range) in several gravelnests, or redds, which she excavates in relatively deep, mov-ing water. The eggs usually hatch in the late winter or theearly spring, depending on the time of spawning and thewater temperature. The newly hatched fish, called alevins,live in the gravel for several weeks until they graduallyabsorb the food in the attached yolk sac. These juveniles,called fry, wiggle up through the gravel by early spring.Most juvenile chinook salmon remain in their natal wateruntil the following spring, when they migrate to the oceanin their second year of life. These seaward migrants arecalled smolts.Food and feeding habits.Chinook salmon in the oceaneat a variety of organisms, including herring, pilchards,sand lance, squid, and crustaceans. Salmon grow rapidly inthe ocean and often double their weight during a singlesummer season. Thus, they quickly develop large, stockybodies.thousand spawning popula-tions of chinook salmon onthe North American coast.Scientific understandingof the distribution of chi-nook in the ocean is stillsketchy. It has been specu-lated that most NorthAmerican chinook do notwander more than 620miles from their natal river,and that fish from westernAlaska streams roam fartherthan others from NorthAmerica. Large numbers arefound relatively close totheir respective shores andalso in distant offshorewaters, and their depthpreferences vary.166Salmon, ChinookSalmon, Chinook(continued)

The late spawning run of the chum salmon severely affectsits popularity as a sportfish. The frequently used name “dogsalmon” reportedly originates with its prevalent use as dogfood among aboriginals.Identification.In the ocean, the slender, somewhat com-pressed, chum salmon is metallic greenish-blue on the backand silvery on the sides and has a fine black speckling onthe upper sides and the back but no distinct black spots.Spawning males turn dark olive or grayish; blood-red color-ing and vertical bars of green and purple reach up the sides,giving the fish its “calico” appearance. It develops the typi-cal hooked snout of Pacific salmon, and the tips of the analand the pelvic fins are often white.The chum salmon is difficult to distinguish from similar-size sockeye salmon. The chum has fewer but larger gill rak-ers than other salmon have. The sockeye also lacks whitemarks on the fins and is generally smaller than the chum.Size/Age.The average weight of chum salmon is 10 to 15pounds. Females are usually smaller than males. These fish can reach 40 inches in length and can live to 7 years.The all-tackle world record is a 35-pounder from BritishColumbia.Life history/Behavior.The chum salmon is an anadro-mous fish and inhabits both ocean environments andcoastal streams. Spawning takes place from ages 2 to 7,most commonly at age 4, and at a weight of 5 to 10pounds. They are sometimes called “autumn salmon” or“fall salmon” because they are among the last salmon in theseason to take their spawning run, entering river mouthsafter mid-June but reaching spawning grounds as late asNovember or December.Food.In the ocean, chum salmon eat a variety of organ-isms, including herring, pilchards, sand lance, squid, andcrustaceans. Adults cease feeding in freshwater.OTHER NAMEScalico salmon, dogsalmon, fall salmon,autumn salmon, chum,keta; French: saumon keta;Japanese:sake, shake.Distribution.Chumsalmon are the most widelydistributed of the Pacificsalmon. In North America,they range south to aboutthe Sacramento River inCalifornia, and east in theArctic Ocean to the Macken-zie River in Canada. There,they travel all the way tothe mouth of the Hay Riverand to the rapids belowForth Smith on the SlaveRiver, entering both GreatBear and Great Slave Lakesand traveling through theNorthwest Territories to theedge of Alberta.Salmon, Chum167Salmon, ChumOncorhynchus keta

A member of the Salmonidae family, the coho salmon is anextremely adaptable fish that occurs in nearly all of thesame waters as does the larger chinook salmon, but it is amore spectacular fighter and the most acrobatic of thePacific salmon. It is one of North America’s most importantsport- and commercial fish, especially to the Pacific coast ofNorth America.Identification.The body of the coho salmon is elongateand somewhat compressed, and the head is conical. Formost of its life (in saltwater or lake, as well as newly arrivedin a spawning river), this species is a dark metallic blue orblue-green above, becoming silvery on the sides and thebelly. There are small black spots on the back and on theupper lobe of the caudal fin. It can be distinguished fromthe chinook salmon by its lack of black spots on the lowerlobe of the tail and the white or gray gums at the base ofthe teeth; the chinook has small black spots on both caudallobes of the tail, and it has black gums.Spawning adults of both sexes have dark backs andheads and maroon to reddish sides. The males turn duskygreen above and on their heads, bright red on their sides,and blackish below. The females turn a pinkish red on theirsides. The male develops a prominent double-hookedsnout, called a kype, with large teeth, which makes closingthe mouth impossible.Size.Coho do not attain the size of their larger chinookbrethren and in most places are caught around the 4- to 8-pound mark. The all-tackle world record is a 33-pound, 4-ounce specimen from the Great Lakes. Fish to 31 poundshave been caught in Alaska, where the average catch is 8 to12 pounds and 24 to 30 inches long.Life history/Behavior.Like all species of Pacific salmon,coho are anadromous. They hatch in freshwater rivers,spend part of their lives in the ocean, and then spawn infreshwater.Adult male sea-run coho salmon generally enter streamswhen they are either 2 or 3 years old, but adult females doOTHER NAMESsilver salmon, silversides,hookbill, hooknose, seatrout, blueback; French:saumon coho;Japanese:gin-zake.Distribution.The cohosalmon is endemic to thenorthern Pacific Ocean andthe rivers flowing into it. InNorth America it occursfrom Point Hope, Alaska, onthe Chukchi Sea south toMonterey Bay, California. Ithas been infrequentlyreported at sea as far southas Baja California, Mexico.Most sea-run chinook areencountered along thecoasts and in spawningrivers.168Salmon, CohoSalmon, CohoOncorhynchus kisutch

not return to spawn until age 3. All coho salmon, whethermale or female, spend their first year in the stream or riverin which they hatch.The timing of runs into tributaries varies as well. Cohosalmon in Alaska, for example, enter spawning streams fromJuly through November, usually during periods of highrunoff. In California, the runs occur from Septemberthrough March, and the bulk of spawning occurs fromNovember through January. Run timing has evolved toreflect the requirements of specific stocks. In some streamswith barrier falls, adults arrive in July when the water is lowand the falls are passable. In large rivers, adults must arriveearly, as they need several weeks or months to reach head-water spawning grounds. Run timing is also regulated bythe water temperature at spawning grounds: Where tem-peratures are low and eggs develop slowly, spawners haveevolved early run timing to compensate; conversely, wheretemperatures are warm, adults are late spawners.Little is known of the ocean migrations of coho salmon.Evidently, there are more coho salmon in the eastern Pacificand along the coast of North America than in the westernPacific. High-seas tagging shows that maturing southeastAlaska coho move northward throughout the spring andappear to concentrate in the central Gulf of Alaska in June.They later disperse toward shore and migrate along theshoreline until they reach their stream of origin. Althoughmost coho do not seem to migrate extensively, tagged indi-viduals have been recovered up to 1,200 miles from thetagging site.Food and feeding habits.In the ocean, coho salmongrow rapidly, feeding on a variety of organisms, includingherring, pilchards, sand lance, squid, and crustaceans. Likeall Pacific salmon, the coho does not feed once it entersfreshwater on its spawning run.Salmon, Coho169Salmon, Coho(continued)

An important commercial catch, the pink salmon is thesmallest North American member of the Pacific salmongroup of the Salmonidae family.Identification.The pink salmon is known as the “hump-back” or “humpy” because of its distorted, extremelyhumpbacked appearance, which is caused by the very pro-nounced, laterally flattened hump that develops on thebacks of adult males before spawning. This hump appearsbetween the head and the dorsal fin and develops by thetime the male enters the spawning stream, as does ahooked upper jaw, or kype.At sea, the pink salmon is silvery in color, with a brightmetallic blue above; there are many black, elongated, ovalspots on the entire tail fin and large spots on the back andthe adipose fin. When the pink salmon moves to spawningstreams, the bright appearance of the male changes to palered or “pink” on the sides, with brown to olive-greenblotches; females become olive green above, with duskybars or patches, and pale below.Size/Age.The average pink salmon weighs 3 to 6 poundsand is 20 to 25 inches long, although these fish can grow to15 pounds and 30 inches. The all-tackle world record is a14-pound, 13-ounce fish taken in Washington in 2001. Pinksalmon live for only 2 years.Life history/Behavior.Pink salmon are often referred toas “autumn salmon” or “fall salmon” because of their latespawning runs; these occur from July through mid-Octoberin Alaska. Adults die soon after spawning. Almost all pinksalmon mature in 2 years, which means that odd-year andeven-year populations are separate and essentially unrelated.Food and feeding habits.At sea, they feed primarily onplankton, as well as on crustaceans, small fish, and squid.They do not feed during the spawning run.OTHER NAMEShumpback salmon,humpy, fall salmon, pink,humpback; French:saumon rose;Japanese:karafutomasu, sepparimasu.Distribution.Pink salmonare native to Pacific andarctic coastal waters fromthe Sacramento River inNorthern California north-east to the Mackenzie Riverin the Northwest Territories,Canada.Pink salmon have beenintroduced to Newfound-land and to the westerncoast of Lake Superior andcurrently maintain popula-tions in these locations;there have been sporadicreports of pink salmon inLabrador, Nova Scotia, andQuebec since their introduc-tion into Newfoundland.These anadromous fishspend 18 months at seaand then undertake aspawning migration to theriver or stream of their birth,although they sometimesuse other streams. Theytend to migrate as far as 40miles inland of coastalwaters, occasionally movingfarther.170Salmon, PinkSalmon, PinkOncorhynchus gorbuscha

A member of the Salmonidae family, sockeye leave theocean to spawn in freshwater, as do other Pacific salmon,but they enter only those rivers having lakes at their head-waters. The erection of dams and the alteration of habitat,however, as well as commercial overfishing and other fac-tors, have caused an overall decline in sockeye stocks andthe loss of some specific runs.Identification.The sockeye is the slimmest and moststreamlined of Pacific salmon, particularly immature andpre-spawning fish, which are elongate and somewhat later-ally compressed. The sockeye is metallic green-blue on theback and the top of the head, iridescent silver on the sides,and white or silvery on the belly. Some fine black specklingmay occur on the back, but large spots are absent.Breeding males develop humped backs and elongated,hooked jaws filled with sharp, enlarged teeth. Both sexesturn brilliant to dark red on their backs and sides, pale toolive green on their heads and upper jaws, and white ontheir lower jaws. The totally red body distinguishes the sock-eye from the otherwise similar chum salmon, and the lackof large, distinct spots distinguishes it from the remainingthree Pacific salmon of North America.Size.Adult sockeye usually weigh between 4 and 8pounds. The all-tackle world record is an Alaskan fish thatweighed 15 pounds, 3 ounces.Life history/Behavior.Sockeye salmon return to theirnatal stream to spawn after spending 1 to 4 years in theocean. They enter freshwater systems from the ocean dur-ing the summer months or the fall, some having traveledthousands of miles. Most populations show little variation intheir arrival time on the spawning grounds from year toyear.Food and feeding habits.In the ocean, sockeye salmonfeed on plankton, plus on crustacean larvae, on larval andsmall adult fish, and occasionally on squid.OTHER NAMESsockeye, red salmon, blue-back salmon, big redfish;French:saumon nerka;Japanese:beni-zake,himemasu.The landlockedform is called kokaneesalmon, Kennerly’s salmon,kokanee, landlocked sock-eye, kickininee, little red-fish, silver trout; French:kokani.Distribution.The sockeyesalmon is native to thenorthern Pacific Ocean andits tributaries; in NorthAmerica it occurs from theSacramento River, Califor-nia, to Point Hope, Alaska.Habitat.Sockeye salmonare anadromous, living inthe sea and entering fresh-water to spawn. Theymainly enter rivers andstreams that have lakes attheir source. Young fish mayinhabit lakes for as many as4 years before returning tothe ocean.Salmon, Sockeye171Salmon, SockeyeOncorhynchus nerka

A member of the Bothidae family of left-eyed flatfish, thelongfin sanddab is a small but common bottom-fishingcatch by anglers, particularly in Southern California.Identification.The body of the longfin sanddab is oblongand compressed. The head is deep, the eyes are large andlocated on the left side, and the mouth is large. The color isuniformly dark with rust-orange or white speckles, and thepectoral fin is black on the eyed side. The blind side is white.This species can be distinguished from the Pacificsanddab by the length of the pectoral fin on the eyed side,which is always shorter than the head on the Pacificsanddab and longer than the head on the longfin. Sand-dabs are always left-eyed and can be distinguished from allother left-eyed flatfish by having a lateral line that is nearlystraight along its entire length.Size.These fish are common to 10 inches in length but arereported to reach a maximum length of 15 ⁄ inches.3 4Spawning behavior.Females are larger than males andnormally mature when 3 years old and roughly 7 ⁄ inches1 2long. They produce numerous eggs, and each fish probablyspawns more than once a season. The peak of the spawningseason is July through September.Food.The diet of longfin sanddabs is wide ranging andincludes small fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, crabs, andworms.OTHER NAMESsanddab, soft flounder,Catalina sanddab; Spanish:lenguado alón.Distribution.Longfinsanddabs occur in the east-ern Pacific from Costa Ricato Monterey, California,including the Gulf of Califor-nia. They are rare north ofSanta Barbara.Habitat.These flatfishusually dwell on sand ormud bottoms from 8 to 660feet deep.172Sanddab, LongfinSanddab, LongfinCitharichthys xanthostigma

A member of the Bothidae family of left-eyed flatfish, thePacific sanddab is an excellent food fish that has both com-mercial significance and a popular sportfishing following.This species is often listed on the seafood menus of Califor-nia restaurants and is viewed by some as a delicacy.Identification.The body of the Pacific sanddab is oblongand compressed. The head is deep, and the eyes are largeand on the left side. The color is light brown, mottled withyellow and orange on the eyed side and white on the blindside.The Pacific sanddab can be distinguished from thelongfin sanddab by the length of the pectoral fin on theeyed side. It is always shorter than the head of the Pacificsanddab and longer than the head of the longfin. Sanddabsare always left-eyed and can be distinguished from otherleft-eyed flatfish by their lateral lines, which are nearlystraight for their entire length.Size.These fish may reach 16 inches and 2 pounds but arecommon to just 10 inches in size and under a half-pound.Spawning behavior.Females are larger than males andnormally mature at age 3, at roughly 8 inches in length.They produce numerous eggs, and each fish probablyspawns more than once in a season. The peak of the spawn-ing season is July through September.Food.The diet of Pacific sanddabs is wide ranging andincludes small fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, crabs, andworms.OTHER NAMESmottled sanddab, sole,sanddab, soft flounder,megrim; Spanish:lenguado.Distribution.Pacificsanddabs occur in the east-ern Pacific from the Sea ofJapan, the Aleutian Islands,and the Bering Sea to CaboSan Lucas, Baja California,Mexico. They are commonin shallow coastal waterfrom British Columbia toCalifornia.Habitat.These flatfish arefound on sand bottoms inwater that ranges from 30to 1,800 feet deep, but theyare most abundant atdepths of 120 to 300 feet.Sanddab, Pacific173Sanddab, PacificCitharichthys sordidus

Resembling small eels, sand lance are burrowing fish thatare important as food for many gamefish. They are excel-lent to eat when prepared in the style of whitebait. Quanti-ties of sand lance are often dug up in the intertidal zone bypeople seeking clams.Identification.Sand lance are small, slim, elongated, andround-bodied fish with no teeth, usually no pelvic fins, nofin spines, and forked tails. Although the sand lance has along soft dorsal fin, it does not have a first dorsal fin. Thebody has sloping fleshy folds, and there is a distinct fleshyridge along the lower side; the straight lateral line is close tothe base of the dorsal fin.Fin-ray and vertebral counts distinguish the Americansand lance from the northern sand lance; the Americansand lance has 51 to 62 dorsal fin rays, 23 to 33 anal finrays, and 61 to 73 vertebrae, whereas the northern sandlance has 56 to 68 dorsal fin rays, 27 to 35 anal fin rays, and65 to 78 vertebrae. Sand lance can be distinguished fromyoung eels by their separate, rather than continuous, dorsaland anal fins, and by the rounded caudal fin of the eel.Size.Sand lance grow to a length of about 6 inches.OTHER NAMESSand launce, sand eel,launce-fish, sandlance;French:lançon.Distribution.Sand lanceoccur in temperate andcolder parts of the Atlanticand Pacific Oceans. On thewestern Atlantic coast, sandlance range from northQuebec to North Carolina.Northern sand lance arebelieved to inhabit deeperwaters, whereas Americansand lance inhabit inshoreareas. Pacific sand lancerange from the Sea of Japanto arctic Alaska, the BeringSea, and to Balboa Island inSouthern California. Thearctic and the Pacific sandlance may be separatespecies.Habitat.Schools of Ameri-can sand lance are oftenabundant in shallow wateralong sandy shores and arefound in salinities of 26 to32 percent. For protection,the fish quickly burrow intothe sand, snouts first, to adepth of about 6 inches.174Sand LanceSand LanceAmerican sand lanceAmmodytes americanusNorthern sand lanceAmmodytes dubiusPacific sand lanceAmmodytes hexapterus

Unlike the young of herring, which are often marketed assardines, the Pacific sardine is a true sardine. Once one ofthe most important commercial fish along the Pacific coast,the Pacific sardine population has been depleted by pollu-tion and overfishing. Most commercial fish are canned orprocessed to make fish meal, fertilizer, or oil; Pacific sardinesare not marketed fresh.Identification.The Pacific sardine has an elongated body,a compressed head, and a small mouth with no teeth. It issilvery with dark blue on the back, shades of purple and vio-let along the sides, and black spots along both the sides andthe back. It can be distinguished from the typical herring bythe absence of a sharp ridge of scales (which is found downthe midline of the belly of a herring) and by vertical ridgeson its gill covers.Life history/Behavior.In the summer, Pacific sardinesmigrate northward from California to British Columbia andreturn in the autumn or the winter. They form large schoolsof various-size fish. Their eggs are pelagic, and, unlike theeggs of herring, they float. Individuals generally mature intheir second year.Food.The Pacific sardine feeds mainly by filtering zoo-plankton and phytoplankton.OTHER NAMESpilchard, Californiapilchard, Californiasardine, sardina; Spanish:pilchard California, sardinade California, sardina Mon-terrey.Distribution.In the east-ern Pacific, Pacific sardinesoccur from southeasternAlaska to Cabo San Lucas,and throughout the Gulf ofCalifornia, Mexico.Sardine, Pacific175Sardine, PacificSardinops caeruleus

The sargo is the largest of the Pacific grunts and is com-monly caught incidentally by anglers fishing for otherspecies, primarily during the summer.Identification.The body of the adult sargo is a com-pressed oval shape, and the back is elevated. The head hasa steep, straight upper profile and a small mouth. Thesargo’s coloring is a metallic silver, with a grayish tinge onthe back. It is silvery below, and there is a distinguishingdark vertical bar running across the body from the dorsal finto the base of the pectoral fin. Occasionally, sargo areentirely bright yellow, orange, or pure white.A young sargo, up to 4 inches, has several dark horizon-tal stripes. The vertical bar begins to appear when the fish is2 to 3 inches long.Size.These fish can reach a maximum length of 22 inches.Life history/Behavior.Sargo swim close to the bottom inloose schools. The fish spawn in the late spring and theearly summer. Spawning first occurs when the fish areabout 7 inches long and 2 years old.Food and feeding habits.Sargo are bottom feeders thatprimarily forage on small shrimp, crabs, clams, and snails.OTHER NAMESChina croaker, blue bass,black croaker, grunt,xantic sargo; Spanish:burro piedrero.Distribution.Sargo occurin the eastern central Pacificfrom Magdalena Bay inBaja California, Mexico, toSanta Cruz, California.Habitat.Sargo are foundinshore and in bays overrocky and rock-sand bot-toms, often near kelp beds,and around pilings or sub-merged structures. Althoughthey can dwell in up to 130feet of water, they are mostcommon in water between8 and 25 feet deep.176SargoSargoAnisotremus davidsonii

Abundant offshore fish, sauries are members of the four-species Scomberesocidae family. They have only moder-ately elongated jaws that are beaklike, and they are easilydistinguished from needlefish and halfbeaks by the five toseven finlets behind the dorsal and the anal fins, as in mack-erel. Sauries as a group have small scales, relatively smallmouth openings, small teeth, and no swim bladders. Theserelatively abundant fish are heavily preyed upon by tuna,marlin, bluefish, and other predators.The Atlantic saury (Scomberesox saurus)travels in schoolscontaining thousands of fish. They are commonly attackedby a variety of predators that sometimes drive the schoolsinto shallow nearshore waters. Often a whole school will risesimultaneously from the sea and skitter across the surface(for this reason, commercial fishermen refer to them as“skippers”). They are sometimes caught commercially whenabundant, but they are not fished for regularly.The Atlantic saury occurs in the western Atlantic from theGulf of St. Lawrence south to North Carolina and Bermuda.Atlantic saury are also known as, in French: balaou;Italian:costardella;Norwegian: makrellejedde;Portuguese:agulhao;Turkish:zurna.The Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)is similar and has a sig-nificant commercial interest as well. Also known as mackerelpike and skipper (and sanmain Japanese), it occurs in largeschools, generally offshore near the surface, and, like theAtlantic saury, feeds on small crustaceans and the eggs andthe larvae of fish. The Pacific saury occurs from Japan east-ward to the Gulf of Alaska and south to Mexico.Both species may reach a length of about 14 inches butare usually shorter.Sauries177SauriesPacific SauryCololabis saira

The California scorpionfish is an excellent food fish and themost venomous member of the scorpionfish family. It hasvenom glands that are attached to the dorsal, the pelvic,and the anal fin spines, and if these spines penetrate theskin, an intense and excruciating pain in the area of thewound occurs almost immediately. If there are multiplepunctures, the wound can induce shock, respiratory dis-tress, or abnormal heart action and sometimes leads to hos-pitalization of the victim. The California scorpionfish is oftencalled a sculpin but is not a member of the sculpin family.Identification.The California scorpionfish has a stockyand slightly compressed body, as well as a large head andmouth. Colored red to brown, with dark patches and spotson the body and the fins, this fish is capable of dramaticcolor changes to blend with its background. It has largepectoral fins, 12 poisonous dorsal spines, and poisonousanal and ventral fin spines.Size/Age.The California scorpionfish can grow to 17inches and can live 15 years.Life history/Behavior.California scorpionfish startspawning at age 3 or 4. Spawning activity occurs from Aprilthrough August, most likely at night. The eggs areimplanted in a single layer on the gelatinous walls of hollow,pear-shaped “balloons” of 5 to 10 inches in length; theseare released on the bottom and rise to the surface, and theeggs hatch within the next 5 days.Food.The California scorpionfish feeds on crabs, squid,octopus, fish, and shrimp.OTHER NAMESspotted scorpionfish, scor-pion, rattlesnake, bullhead,scorpene, sculpin; Spanish:rascacio californiano.Distribution.In the east-ern Pacific, this speciesoccurs from Santa Cruz,California, to Punta Abreo-jos, Baja California, includ-ing a cloistered populationin the northern Gulf of Cali-fornia and at GuadalupeIsland in Mexico.Habitat.Californiascorpionfish usually live incaves, crevices, and rockyareas of bays along theshore, from just below thesurface to 600-foot depths.Resting quietly during theday among rocky reefs andkelp beds, they emerge atnight and are often seen bynight divers in the opennear kelp and eelgrass beds.Some are occasionally foundover sand or mud bottoms.178Scorpionfish, CaliforniaScorpionfish, CaliforniaScorpaena guttata

The Cottidae family of sculpins is made up of more than300 species, most of which are marine, but many of whichalso occur in freshwaters throughout the Northern Hemi-sphere. They are important as food for larger fish and aspredators of the eggs and the young of gamefish. Bottom-dwelling fish of cold waters, sculpins live in shelf waters andin rocky tidal pools. A few species of larger sculpins inhabitdepths of up to 4,200 feet in saltwater.Sculpins are characterized by wide bodies that taper toslender, compressed tails. They may be unscaled or mayhave spiny prickles or platelike scales, although the devel-opment of these varies within species, depending on habi-tat, and is not necessarily useful in identification. All sculpinshave a bony support beneath each eye, which connectsbones with the front of the gill covers. The dorsal fins aredeeply indented between the spiny and the soft-rayed por-tions, and the pectoral fins are large and fanned. The colorand the pattern vary, although they are mainly mottledwith various shades and are protectively camouflaged bytheir mottled pattern. Sculpins are primarily carnivorous,clinging to the bottom and pouncing on small inverte-brates, crustaceans, and mollusks for food.Of the marine species, the cabezon, or great marbledsculpin(Scorpaenichthys marmoratus),is the largest and bestknown, weighing up to 30 pounds. It is good table fare andis a coveted catch in California waters. The staghorn sculpin(Leptocottus armatus)inhabits the same waters as does thecabezon and is sometimes caught accidentally by anglersand used for bait. The grunt sculpin (Rhamphocottusrichardsonii)is so called because of the noises it makes whenremoved from the water. It is featured in aquariums.Sculpin179SculpinCabezonScorpaenichthys marmoratusStaghorn SculpinLeptocottus armatus

A member of the Sparidae family of porgies, which includesabout 112 species, the scup is most commonly known as“porgy” and is a common angling catch along the easternUnited States. It is a fine food fish that has had significantcommercial interest. Primarily caught through trawling, itwas overexploited and at low population levels throughoutthe 1990s.Identification.Somewhat nondescript, the scup is ratherdusky colored, being brownish and almost silvery, with finsthat are mottled brown. It has a deep body, about the samedepth all the way to the caudal peduncle, where it narrowsabruptly. The fins are spiny. The caudal fin is lunate (cres-cent-shaped). The front teeth are incisor-form, and thereare two rows of molars in the upper jaw.Size/Age.Scup attain a maximum length of about 16inches. The all-tackle world record is a 4-pound, 9-ounceMassachusetts fish. Ages up to 20 years have been reported.Food and feeding habits.The diet of scup consists ofcrabs, shrimp, worms, sand dollars, snails, and young squid.Although they sometimes eat small fish, scup usuallybrowse and nibble over hard bottoms.OTHER NAMESporgy.Distribution.Scup arefound in the westernAtlantic from Nova Scotia toFlorida but are rare south ofNorth Carolina, occurringprimarily in the Mid-AtlanticBight from Cape Cod toCape Hatteras. An introduc-tion into Bermuda wasunsuccessful.Habitat/Behavior.Aschooling species, scup arecommon in the summer ininshore waters from Massa-chusetts to Virginia; in thewinter, they frequent off-shore waters between Hud-son Canyon and CapeHatteras at depths rangingfrom 230 to 590 feet. Sex-ual maturity is essentiallycomplete by age 3, whenthe fish is 8 ⁄ inches long;1 4spawning occurs during thesummer months.180ScupScupStenotomus chrysops

Black sea bass are members of the Serranidae family and arepopular sportfish.Identification.The black sea bass has a relatively stoutbody that is three times as long (excluding the tail) as it isdeep. It also has a noticeably high back, a flat-topped head,a slightly pointed snout, and a sharp spine near the apex ofeach gill cover. The elongated top ray of the tail sticks outpast the rest of the tail and is the most distinguishing fea-ture of this fish.The body color ranges from black to gray or brownish-gray. The dorsal fins are marked by several slanting whitespots, and there also appear to be thin stripes on the sides,with wide vertical bands overlapping the stripes on somefish and a large dark spot on the last dorsal spine. The upperand the lower edges of the tail are white, as are the outeredges of the dorsal and the anal fins.Size.Big sea bass range from 3 to 8 pounds, and the aver-age fish weighs between 1 and 3 pounds; the all-tackleworld record is a 10-pound, 4-ounce fish. Sea bass cangrow to 2 feet long, averaging 6 to 18 inches. They areknown to live for 10 years.Life history.Black sea bass are hermaphrodites; mostbegin their lives as females and later become males. Largefish are males, and females reach reproductive ability intheir second year. Transformation from female to male gen-erally occurs between ages 2 and 5. Their protractedspawning season extends from February through May inthe southern range and from June through October in theirnorthern range.Food and feeding habits.Clams, shrimp, worms, crabs,and small fish constitute the diet of the omnivorous blacksea bass.OTHER NAMESblackfish, sea bass, blackbass, black will, blackseabass, rockbass, com-mon sea bass, humpback(large males), pin bass(small specimens);Spanish:serrano estriado.Distribution.Found in thewestern North AtlanticOcean along the UnitedStates, the black sea bassranges as far north asMaine and south to north-ern Florida, as well as intothe Gulf of Mexico. It ismost common betweenCape Cod, Massachusetts,and Cape Hatteras, NorthCarolina.Habitat.The black seabass is a bottom-dwellingspecies found aroundwrecks, reefs, piers, jetties,and breakwaters and overbeds of shells, coral, androck. Small fish are found inshallow and quiet watersnear the shore, such as inbays, whereas most largerfish prefer offshore reefs, inwater ranging from roughly10 feet deep to several hun-dred feet deep.Sea Bass, Black181Sea Bass, BlackCentropristis striata

The giant sea bass, a member of the Serranidae family, isnot only a formidable fish in size, it is also renowned for itslengthy life span.Identification.The body of the giant sea bass is elongateand has dorsal spines that fit into a groove on the back.Greenish-brown or black, the giant sea bass has black ortransparent fins, with the exception of the ventral fins,which appear lighter because of a white membranebetween the black spines. There is usually a white patch onthe throat and underneath the tail, and the membranesbetween the rays are also light. Young fish are mottled withprominent dark spots and a few pale-yellow blotches onmostly brick-red bodies; these markings are periodicallyseen on fish up to and exceeding 25 pounds. The first dor-sal fin is separated from the second by a single notch; thefirst is extremely low and has 11 spines, whereas the secondis higher and has 10 soft rays.Size/Age.The giant sea bass reaches maturity by the ageof 11 or 12 and weighs roughly 50 pounds, although it hasbeen known to weigh more than 600 pounds and measuremore than 7 feet in length. The all-tackle world record is563 pounds, 8 ounces; the most common catch is in the100- to 200-pound range, and much smaller fish are sel-dom caught. Some of the largest specimens are believed tobe 75 years or older.Food and feeding habits.The giant sea bass diet includescrustaceans and a wide variety of fish. Anchovies andcroaker are a prominent food source off California; mack-erel, sheepshead, whitefish, sand bass, and several types ofcrabs are also favored. Although these bulky fish appear tobe slow and cumbersome, they are reputedly capable ofoutswimming and catching a bonito in a short chase.OTHER NAMESCalifornia black sea bass,California jewfish, giantbass, black, black sea bass;French:bar gigantesque;Japanese:kokuchi-ishinagi,ishinagi-zoku;Spanish:lubina gigante.Distribution.Giant seabass occur in tropical andsubtropical inshore watersof the northeast Pacific offthe California and Mexicocoasts, specifically from theGulf of California southwardto Humboldt Bay andGuadalupe Island. In Cali-fornia waters these fishhave been in short supplybut were rebounding in the1990s, due to a moratoriumon keeping them.Habitat.Inhabitinginshore waters, giant seabass are bottom-dwellingfish, preferring hard, rockybottoms around kelp beds.The young occur in depthsof about 6 to 15 fathoms,whereas larger specimensusually inhabit depths of 15to 25 fathoms.182Sea Bass, GiantSea Bass, GiantStereolepis gigas

A member of the Sciaenidae family, the popular whiteseabass belongs to the grouping of weakfish or corvina andis not a true bass or sea bass. White seabass stocks havestruggled due to overfishing by commercial gillnets, whichare now illegal in California for this species.Identification.The body of the white seabass is elongateand somewhat compressed. There is a characteristic raisedridge along the middle of the belly, between the vent andthe base of the pelvic fins. The head is pointed and slightlyflattened. The mouth is large, with a row of small teeth inthe roof and a projecting lower jaw. The first dorsal fin hasnine spines and the second two spines and 20 soft rays. Theanal fin has two spines and 10 soft rays. There are no bar-bels on the chin. Its coloring is bluish to gray above, withdark speckling, and becomes silver below.The white seabass can be distinguished from its Atlanticrelatives, the weakfish and the spotted seatrout, by its lackof canine teeth. It is most closely related to the Californiacorbina, but it is the only California croaker to exceed 20pounds. It is most easily separated from other croaker bythe presence of a ridge running the length of the belly.Size/Age.The average weight of a 28-inch fish is 7 ⁄12pounds. The all-tackle record is 83 pounds, 3 ounces. Whiteseabass generally live for 5 years.Life history.Spawning occurs in the spring and the sum-mer. White seabass are schooling fish and are present in Cal-ifornia waters all year long. They are especially popular inthe spring and also in the winter, when they converge onspawning squid.Food and feeding habits.White seabass feed onanchovies, pilchards, herring, and other fish, as well as oncrustaceans and squid.OTHER NAMESCatalina salmon, whitecorvina, corvina blanca,white weakfish, weakfish,king croaker; French:acoupa blanc;Spanish:corvinata bronzeada.Distribution.Whiteseabass inhabit the easternPacific, mainly between SanFrancisco, California, andBaja California, Mexico, andin the northern Gulf of Cali-fornia. They are found as farnorth as southern Alaskaand as far south as Chile.Habitat.Preferring deep,rocky environments, whiteseabass usually hold nearkelp beds in depths of 12 to25 fathoms. They are some-times found in shallow surfor deeper waters. Juvenilesinhabit shallow nearshoreareas, bays, and estuaries.Seabass, White183Seabass, WhiteAtractoscion nobilis (alsoCynoscion nobilis)

Sea robins are mostly tropical and subtropical fish of theTriglidae family, characterized by split pectoral fins that con-sist of stiff separate rays on the lower half and broad, soft,winglike rays on the upper half. The upper rays are not aslarge as in the similar-looking flying gurnard but are usedfor the same purpose—swimming. The lower rays are usedto find food by sifting through debris and turning overrocks.Sea robins also use their pelvic and pectoral fins to “walk”across the bottom as they search for fish, shrimp, squid,clams, and crabs to satisfy their insatiable appetites. Theyare often brightly colored, are capable of making loudnoises by vibrating muscles attached to their air bladders,and inhabit moderately deep waters. These fish spawnthroughout the summer, their eggs float on the surface,and the young grow quickly during the first year.One of the more well-known fish of this group is thenorthern sea robin (Prionotus carolinus),which occurs fromNova Scotia to northern South America but is uncommonnorth of Massachusetts. It averages 12 inches in length andmay reach a length of 18 inches. A black, mottled fish withan olive-brown or gray background, the northern sea robinhas a large head that is covered with bony plates and spinesand has a distinct black chin. It is a bottom-dweller, movingclose to shore during the summer and to deeper water inthe winter.Other Atlantic species are the striped sea robin (P.evolans),which is distinguished by a few dark bands on itssides, and the leopard sea robin (P. scitulus),an almost foot-long species with dark blotches, common in the Gulf ofMexico and the southern Atlantic.Distribution.At least 19species occur in the Atlanticand a few in the Pacific offthe coasts of the UnitedStates and Canada.184Sea RobinSea RobinNorthern Sea RobinPrionotus carolinus

A member of the Sciaenidae family (drum and croaker), thesand seatrout is a small and frequently caught fish. Foundprimarily in the Gulf of Mexico, it supports a minor com-mercial and sportfishing industry. It is closely related to theweakfish of the Atlantic coast.Identification.Its coloring is pale yellow on the back andsilver to white below, without any real defined spots. Ayoung sand seatrout has a cloudy back, sometimes formingcrossbands. The inside of the mouth is yellow. There are 10 to 12 soft rays in the anal fin. It does not have any chinbarbels and can be distinguished from the silver seatrout bythe presence of 10 anal rays, the silver seatrout having only8 or 9.Size.The average fish is 10 to 12 inches in length andrarely weighs more than a pound. The all-tackle record is a6-pound, 2-ounce fish caught in Alabama.Spawning behavior.There is a prolonged spawning sea-son inshore from spring through summer. Fish mature dur-ing their first or second year.Food and feeding habits.The main food sources areshrimp and small fish.OTHER NAMESwhite trout, sand weakfish,white weakfish.Distribution.The sandseatrout occurs mainly inthe Gulf of Mexico from thewest coast of Floridathrough Texas and intoMexico and as far south asthe Gulf of Campeche. Italso exists on the extremesoutheastern Atlantic por-tion of Florida.Habitat.The sandseatrout is predominantlyan inshore fish found inbays and inlets. The younginhabit shallow bays, partic-ularly in less saline areas.Adult fish move offshore inthe winter.Seatrout, Sand185Seatrout, SandCynoscion arenarius

A member of the Sciaenidae family (drum and croaker), thesilver seatrout is smaller than other seatrout and generallysimilar in body shape. It is often misidentified with the spot-ted seatrout.Identification.Its coloring is pale straw or walnut on theback and silver to white below, without any real definedspots, although faint diagonal lines may be present on theupper body. There are 8 to 9 rays in the anal fin, distin-guishing it from the sand seatrout, which has 10 rays. Thesilver seatrout has large eyes and a short snout, no chin bar-bel, and one to two prominent canine teeth usually presentat the tip of the upper jaw. The lower half of the tail islonger than the upper half.Size.Silver seatrout seldom weigh more than a half poundand are usually less than 10 inches long.Spawning behavior.There is a prolonged spawning sea-son offshore during the spring, the summer, and the fall.Food and feeding habits.The main food sources areshrimp, small crustaceans, and small fish.OTHER NAMESsilver trout, silver weakfish.Distribution.The silverseatrout occurs mainlythroughout the Gulf of Mexico and is also in theAtlantic from southernFlorida to Maryland.Habitat.Predominantlyan offshore fish, the silverseatrout is usually foundover sandy and sandy-mudbottoms. It migrates in baysin the winter months.186Seatrout, SilverSeatrout, SilverCynoscion nothus

The spotted seatrout is a member of the Sciaenidae familyof drum and croaker. It belongs to the genus Cynoscion(weakfish and seatrout), which is named for its members’tender mouths, from which hooks tear easily. Considered anexceptionally valuable commercial fish and an even morevaluable sportfish to anglers, it is intensely pursuedthroughout its range, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. MostGulf and Atlantic coast states have experienced a decline inspotted seatrout populations due to overfishing andexploitation, and fishing is strictly controlled; in some areas,the cessation of gillnetting is leading to stock recoveriesand is providing optimism for the future.The spotted seatrout is also known as an excellent tablefish. Its flesh is fine and delicately flavored, but it spoilsquickly and should be cleaned or stored on ice when possi-ble after being caught. It usually appears on the menus ofsouthern restaurants as “trout” and can be substituted inrecipes for sea bass or redfish.Identification.The spotted seatrout has an elongatedbody, with a slightly more regular and even tail fin, with ablack margin, than that of a sand or a silver seatrout. Its coloring is dark gray or green on the back, with sky-bluetinges shading to silvery and white below; the dorsal fins aregray-green, and many round black spots speckle the back, the tail, and the dorsal fins. The lower jaw protrudesbeyond the upper, which has one or two prominent canineteeth. The first dorsal fin has one spine and 24 to 27 softrays, and the anal fin has two spines and 10 to 11 soft rays.There are eight or nine short, stubby gill rakers on the lowerlimb of the first gill arch. There are no barbels, and the inte-rior of the mouth is orange. A very young fish will have abroad, dark lateral band. The presence of spots on the finscan distinguish the spotted seatrout from other seatrout.OTHER NAMEStrout, speckled trout,speck, spotted weakfish,spotted squeteague, gatortrout, salmon trout, wintertrout, black trout; Spanish:corvinata pintada.Distribution.Spottedseatrout occur along theAtlantic and the Gulf ofMexico coasts. They aremost abundant along thecoasts of Georgia, Florida,Alabama, Mississippi, east-ern Louisiana, and Texasbut range as far westwardas Tampico, Mexico. In thelate spring, they can rangeas far north as Long Island,New York, but are moreprominent in the mid-Atlantic in the Carolinas,Virginia, and Maryland.Habitat.An inshore bottom-dwelling species, thespotted seatrout inhabitsshallow bays, estuaries,bayous, canals, and GulfCoast beaches. It prefersnearshore sandy and grassybottoms and may even fre-quent salt marshes andtidal pools with high salin-ity. It also lives around oilSeatrout, Spotted187Seatrout, SpottedCynoscion nebulosus

Size/Age.Mature spotted seatrout commonly range from12 to 24 inches and average 4 pounds, although they canreach 48 inches and weigh as much as 16 pounds. The all-tackle record is 17 pounds, 7 ounces, caught at Fort Pierce,Florida, in 1995. They can live up to 10 years; 3-year-old fishin Alabama are generally 12 to 13 inches long, and 4-year-old fish are 14 to 15 inches long. Anglers commonly catchspotted seatrout weighing between 1 and 3 pounds; fishexceeding 7 pounds are considered large, and 10-poundersare definitely trophies.Life history/Behavior.It is believed that water tempera-ture and salinity levels are more important to spawningthan a specific location, because newly hatched spottedseatrout will not survive low salinity and low temperatureconditions. Optimum spawning conditions for spottedseatrout exist when salinity is 20 to 34 parts per thousandand temperatures reach 70° to 90°F. Spawning occurs atnight in coastal bays, sounds, and lagoons; near passes;and around barrier islands from March through November.A female may lay up to 10 million eggs. The eggs hatchwithin 20 hours and are transported to estuaries by windsand currents.Spotted seatrout are schooling fish and are not consid-ered migratory, as they rarely move more than 30 miles,although they do move into deeper waters or deep holes toavoid cold temperatures. Juveniles spend 2 to 4 years inshallow, grassy areas and then tend to move into thenearshore passes and along beaches.Food and feeding habits.Spotted seatrout are predatory,feeding primarily on shrimp and small fish. When shrimpare scarce, they often consume mullet, menhaden, and sil-versides. The larger specimens feed more heavily on fish.Juveniles feed on grass shrimp and copepods.rigs, usually within 10 milesof shore. Ideal water tem-peratures are between 58°and 81°F. Cold water islethal to the spottedseatrout, and althoughsome move into slow-moving or still, deep watersin cold weather, the major-ity remaining in its normalhabitat may be killed by thelow temperatures.188Seatrout, SpottedSeatrout, Spotted(continued)

Sennets are members of the Sphyraenidae family of bar-racuda, although they are smaller and less wide-rangingthan barracuda are. Northern sennets (Sphyraena borealis)grow to a maximum of 18 inches; they occur in the westernAtlantic from Massachusetts to southern Florida and theGulf of Mexico. Southern sennets (S. picudilla)are similar,occurring in Bermuda, Florida, and the Bahamas south toUruguay; also known as picuda china,they have more com-mercial relevance than the northern sennet and are foundnear the surface, sometimes in large schools.These fish are seldom far from the coast, often preferringto be near rocky bottoms. They are good table fare and notknown to be poisonous (as barracuda may be). They pro-vide good sport for light-tackle anglers and have beenknown to take small spoons, plugs, and flies.Sennets189SennetsNorthern SennetSphyraena borealis

This member of the Clupeidae family of herring and shad isan anadromous species virtually ignored by anglers. It doeshave some commercial significance, however.Identification.A silvery fish like its other relatives, theAlabama shad has a large terminal mouth, with upper andlower jaws of almost equal length. Its tongue has a singlemedian row of small teeth, there is no lateral line, the pos-terior of the dorsal fin lacks an elongated slender filament,and there are 18 or fewer anal rays. In general, it is nearlyidentical to the larger-growing American shad, but an adultfish has 42 to 48 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gillarch.Size.The Alabama shad can grow to just over 20 inchesbut is usually under 15 inches long.Food/Angling.The feeding habits of this species at sea areunknown but are presumably similar to those of hickory andAmerican shad. The Alabama shad is anadromous and onlya potential angling target during upriver spawning migra-tions, during which time it does not feed. This smallish shadis a largely incidental catch and a rare deliberate anglingtarget.OTHER NAMESGulf shad, Ohio shad.Distribution.This speciesoccurs in the northern Gulf of Mexico, from theMississippi Delta andLouisiana eastward to theChoctawhatchee River inFlorida; it also occurs inrivers from Iowa to Arkansasand across West Virginia.Habitat/Life history.TheAlabama shad is a school-ing species that spendsmost of its life in the ocean;when mature, it returnsfrom early spring throughsummer to rivers andstreams to spawn, inhabit-ing open water of mediumto large rivers. Young shaddescend rivers in autumn.190Shad, AlabamaShad, AlabamaAlosa alabamae

The American shad is an anadromous member of the Clu-peidae family of herring and shad and is highly regarded asa gamefish in coastal rivers.Identification.The laterally compressed, fairly deep bodyof the American shad is silvery white, with some green todark blue along the back, frequently with a metallic shine.The coloring darkens slightly when the fish enters freshwa-ter to spawn. There is a large black spot directly behind thetop of the gill cover, followed by several spots that becomesmaller and less distinct toward the tail; sometimes there areup to three rows of these dark spots, one under the other.The American shad has large, easily shed scales, as well asmodified scales called scutes, which form a distinct ridge orcutting edge along the belly. The tail is deeply forked, andthe fish has weak teeth or no teeth at all.Size/Age.The normal size of American shad is 2 to 5pounds. They reach a maximum of 30 inches. The all-tackleworld record is an 11-pound, 4-ounce Massachusetts fish.Although American shad can live to age 13, few live pastage 7. Females grow more quickly and are generally largest.Spawning behavior.Most fish spawn for the first timewhen they weigh 3 to 5 pounds. Males reach sexual maturityat age 3 to 4, females at age 4 to 5. Peak spawning migra-tions occur when the water temperature is in the 50s. Thesemigrations usually take place in April in southern rivers andthrough July in northern regions. Post-spawning adultsattempt to return to the sea after spawning; many die imme-diately after spawning, whereas others have been known tolive long enough to spawn as many as seven times.Food and feeding habits.In the ocean, American shadprimarily feed on plankton. They cease feeding duringupstream spawning migration.OTHER NAMESpoor man’s salmon, com-mon shad, Atlantic shad,Connecticut River shad,North River shad, Potomacshad, Susquehanna shad,white shad, Delawareshad, alose; French: alosesavoureuse.Distribution.The endemicrange of this species is eastof the Appalachians alongthe Atlantic coast of NorthAmerica from Sand HillRiver, Labrador, to the St.Johns River, Florida. Ameri-can shad were introducedinto the Sacramento River inCalifornia and now occur upand down the Pacific coastfrom Bahia de Todos Santosin upper Baja California,Mexico, to Cook Inlet,Alaska.Habitat.American shadspend most of their lives inthe ocean, ascendingcoastal rivers to spawn.They are found in fresh-water only during theirspawning runs and engagein extensive and complexmigrations throughout theirrange.Shad, American191Shad, AmericanAlosa sapidissima

A member of the Clupeidae family of herring and shad, thehickory shad is of significant recreational interest, being afriskier, although smaller, cousin of the American shad.Identification.Gray-green on the back and fading to sil-ver on the side, the hickory shad has clear fins, with theexception of the dusky dorsal and caudal fins, which areoccasionally black edged. It has a strongly oblique mouth,a lower jaw that projects noticeably beyond its upper jaw,and a cheek that is longer than or about equal to its depth.There is a blue-black spot near the upper edge of the gillcover, followed by a clump of indistinct dusky spots thatextends below the dorsal fin. There are also teeth on thelower jaw and 18 to 23 rakers on the lower limb of the firstgill arch.Size.The hickory shad can reach almost 2 feet in lengthand averages 1 to 3 pounds in weight. It can weigh asmuch as 6 pounds.Life history/Behavior.Hickory shad mature when theyare 2 years old and about 12 inches long. Adults ascendcoastal rivers during the spring. Preferred water tempera-tures range from 55° to 69°F, but the lower end of thatrange seems to trigger the spawning urge. The female laysup to 300,000 eggs. Young fish remain in rivers, estuaries,and backwaters, migrating to the sea by fall or early winter.Food and feeding habits.At sea, hickory shad feed onsmall fish, as well as on squid, small crabs, other crus-taceans, and fish eggs. In an irony that is common to mostanadromous species, they are not pursued or caught byanglers in places where they do feed but are pursued andcaught when migrating upriver in natal waters when theydo not feed.OTHER NAMESshad herring, hickory jack,freshwater taylor, fall her-ring, bonejack.Distribution.Found onlyalong the Atlantic coast ofNorth America, the hickoryshad ranges from theKenduskeag River, Maine, tothe St. Johns River, Florida.It is most common in theSoutheast and in the mid-Atlantic regions. This speciesoverlaps with Americanshad and ascends some ofthe same rivers whenspawning.Habitat.The hickory shadis a schooling species thatspends most of its life in theocean; when mature, itreturns in the early springthrough the summer torivers and streams tospawn, inhabiting openwater of medium to largerivers. Young shad descendrivers in the autumn.192Shad, HickoryShad, HickoryAlosa mediocris

Today there are at least 370 species of sharks worldwide.Like all fish, sharks are vertebrates, but ichthyologists placethem in a separate class from most bony fish because theshark’s skeleton is made of cartilage instead of bone. Sharksalso have five to seven gill slits on each side of the head,allowing each gill to vent separately into the surroundingwater. Bony fish, in contrast, have on each side of theirbodies one gill opening that is covered by a bony platecalled the operculum.Sharks also lack the gas-filled swim bladders of mostbony fish. Instead, sharks have evolved a different means ofmaintaining buoyancy: They have extremely large liversthat contain oils that are lighter than water. These oils, cou-pled with the cartilaginous skeleton, make sharks almostneutrally buoyant.Swimming ability.Not all sharks must swim constantly toforce water over their gills for respiration. Some can activelypump water over their gills and occasionally rest motionlesson the bottom. Many bottom-dwelling sharks pump waterover their gills most of the time. Sharks must literally swimor sink, however, because their bodies are slightly denserthan water, and they require forward motion to stay afloat.Sharks have a number of physical adaptations that makethem exceptionally efficient swimmers.Sensory ability.As sharks swim, they constantly samplethe water for odors and sounds. They can detect odors at afew parts per million and are attracted by low-frequencyvibrations. Feeding is dependent on vision and the detec-tion of electrical fields. Their well-developed visual systemfunctions well in high and low light; a special structure inthe eye called the tapetum lucidum increases their sensitiv-ity in low light. At close range, the shark’s electroreceptionsystem comes into play. Receptors located in pores on theshark’s snout and lower jaw can detect tiny electrical fieldscreated by the prey’s muscular movement.Feeding and digestion.A shark swallows its food wholeor in chunks. Once the shark is satiated, it may not eatagain for several weeks. As the food is digested, it passesthrough the intestine, which has a spiral valve structureunique to sharks. This valve increases the interior surfaceSharks193SharksThe underside of the headof a sand tiger shark.

area of the intestine for more efficient absorption of nutri-ents. Sharks are opportunistic feeders and will often eatwhatever is available.Teeth.Shark teeth come in as many shapes and sizes assharks do. They also say something about the shark’s diet.Some sharks are specialized predators; theirteeth are adapted for efficient capture oftheir preferred prey. Others eat whatever isavailable, and their teeth are amply suited formany types of food. The great white uses itstriangular, serrated, bladelike teeth for grab-bing and biting off chunks of large fish andmarine mammals. At the other end of thespectrum, the smooth dogfish uses its flatteeth for crushing the shells of mollusks andcrustaceans. Others, like the mako or thesand tiger, have narrow, pointed teeth forimpaling and holding onto prey smallenough to swallow whole.Skin.Sharks have placoid scales, or denticles, which aretiny, bony projections implanted in the shark’s skin. Theycome in many shapes and sizes but usually completelycover the shark’s skin like a coat of armor. Their main func-tions are protection and reducing drag as the shark’s bodyslices through the water. Denticles give the shark’s hide arough texture like sandpaper.Reproduction.Sharks have a number of reproductivestrategies. Some enclose fertilized eggs in tough, leatheryegg cases that are released into the water for subsequentdevelopment and birth. Some females retain eggs withintheir bodies and hatch the young internally, so they areborn alive and fully formed. Others have a sophisticatedplacental arrangement similar to that of mammals. Manysharks take 10 to 20 years to mature sexually, and they pro-duce as few as one pup at a time. A number of species areestimated to live for 40 or 50 years.194SharksSharks(continued)The upper and lower teeth of a makoshark

The Atlantic angel shark is frequently mistaken for a raybecause of its flattened, triangular body. This fish is unlike aray, however, as its gill slits are lateral and create a deepindentation between its head and its pectoral fin.The Atlantic angel shark is brownish- to bluish-gray onthe back and whitish on the belly, and it has a mid-dorsalrow of denticles. The large mouth is terminal, and eachtooth has a broad base with a long, pointed central cusp.The pectoral fins are not attached to the body at the rear,and Atlantic angels swim without making much use ofthem.Growing to 5 feet long, Atlantic angels will bite whencaptured and can inflict vicious wounds. In the westernAtlantic, they range from southern New England to the Gulfof Mexico, also occurring around Jamaica, Nicaragua, andVenezuela; they are rarer off southern Florida and in the Gulfof Mexico. They are common during the summer along themid-Atlantic states.OTHER NAMEsand devil.Shark, Atlantic Angel195Shark, Atlantic AngelSquatina dumeril

The second largest shark in existence today, growing to 45feet, the basking shark is a member of the mackerel sharkfamily and is basically harmless to humans.A dark gray or slate-gray fish fading to a paler shade onits belly, the basking shark gets its name from its habit ofswimming slowly at the surface. As a plankton feeder, it willnot take bait, being too large for sportfishing anyway.Long gill slits span the sides and nearly meet below, withlong, closely set gill rakers that it uses to strain zooplankton.The rakers are shed during the winter, and the baskingshark fasts on the bottom while it grows new ones.Pelagic in cool, temperate waters nearly worldwide, its 3-year gestation period is the longest of any shark’s.Once extensively fished commercially and valued for itsliver for oil, the basking shark may be a potential source ofanticarcinoma drugs and is used in Chinese medicine.196Shark, BaskingShark, BaskingCetorhinus maximus

The blacktip shark reaches just over 8 feet in length; the all-tackle world record is a 270-pound, 9-ounce fish taken offKenya in 1995.It is dark bluish-gray on the back and whitish below, witha distinctive silver-white stripe on each flank; young fish aregenerally paler. As the name implies, it is black-tipped onthe insides of the pectoral fins, as well as on the dorsal, theanal, and the lower lobe of the caudal fins in young fish.This shading may be faint, especially on the first dorsal fin,and it fades with growth.The blacktip shark has a long, almost V-shaped snoutand serrated, nearly symmetrical teeth. It often forms largesurface schools and is an active hunter in midwater, respon-sible for very few attacks on humans but dangerous whenprovoked.A wide-ranging species, the blacktip extends along thewestern Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil, and in the east from Senegal to Zaire, Madeira, the Canaries, andthe Mediterranean. In the eastern Pacific, it occurs fromsouthern Baja California to Peru and the Galápagos Islands.OTHER NAMESblacktip whaler, commonblacktip shark, small black-tipped shark.Shark, Blacktip197Shark, BlacktipCarcharhinus limbatus