Fish ID

Family Ariidae, SEA CATFISHES

Description: bluish above; silvery below; dorsal and pectoral fins with long, fleshy filaments on spines; barbel at cornor of mouth flattened, bandlike, and very elongate, sometimes reaching anal fin; only 2 barbels on chin.
Size: to 60 cm (2 ft.) and 2.5 kg (5 to 6 lbs.).
Where found: continental waters; enters brackish waters; […]

Family Ariidae, SEA CATFISHES

Description: brownish to gray-green; white to yellowish below; fin spines with no fleshy filaments; barbel at corner of mouth not very flattened and shorter than head; four barbels on chin.
Size: to 60 cm (2 ft.) and 5.5 kg (12 lbs.) but usually much smaller.
Where found: same as for gafftopsail catfish usually much […]

Family Bothidae, LEFTEYE FLOUNDERS

Description: body color brown, its shade depending on color of bottom, with numerous spots and blotches; 3 prominent eye-like spots forming a triangle; one spot on lateral line, one above, one below; numerous white spots scattered over body and fins (albigutta, white spotted); strong canine-like teeth; caudal fin in shape of wedge, […]

Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: the only drum in our region with a distinctly forked caudal fin; bluish to brownish above; brassy on side; silvery to white below; distinct brownish spot on shoulder; 12 to 15 narrow, diagonal dark lines on upper body.
Size: to 36 cm (14 in.)
Remarks: a popular pan fish.
  

Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: grayish brown above, with silvery sides: 7 to 8 diagonal dusky bars or blotches on each side, but these marks are obscure and never form V-shaped marks on side; scales on chest about same size as those on body.
Size: to 38 cm (15 in.) and 1 kg (2 lbs.).
Where found: shallow coastal […]

Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: similar to the Southern Kingfish but caudal fin has a blackish tip; side silvery, without dark marks; tip of spinous dorsal fin often dusky; lining of gill cavity silvery; scales on chest noticeably smaller than those on side.
Size: to 46 cm (18 in.).
Where found: at water’s edge, in surf.
  

Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: dark olive or blue-green back; sides covered in tones of blue, purple, lavender, gold, and copper; irregular diagonal rows of vaguely defined dark spots appear above the lateral line; 1 to 2 prominent canine teeth usually present at tip of upper jaw; black margin on tip of the tongue; pelvic and anal […]

Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: color silvery with yellowish fins; no spots; no chin barbels; no prominent canine teeth at tip of upper jaw; preopercle finely serrated; 5 to 6 chin pores; mouth terminal.
Similar fish: sand seatrout, Cynoscion arenarius (the seatrouts usually have 1 or 2 prominent canine teeth at tip of upper jaw and do not […]

FamilySciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: dark gray or green above, with sky-blue tinges shading to silvery and white below; numerous distinct round black spots on back, extending to the dorsal fins and tail; no barbels; no scales on the soft dorsal fin; one or two prominent canine teeth usually present at tip of upper jaw.
Similar fish: other seatrout.
Where […]

Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS

Description: pale straw-colored above, silvery sides and white below; no distinctive pigmentation, although faint diagonal lines may be present on upper body; 8 to 9 rays in the anal fin; large eyes; short snout; one to two prominent canine teeth usually present at tip of upper jaw; lower half of tail longer than […]