YELLOWFIN MENHADEN – Brevoortia smithi
Family Clupeidae, HERRINGS Description: silvery, with a greenish or bluish back; fins golden yellow; a single dark shoulder spot; scales on back noticeably smaller than those on sides and difficult to count – about 60-70 rows across middle of side; 27-30 (usually 28-29) ventral scutes. Size: to 32 cm (13 in.). Mark MayoI research and […]
GULF MENHADEN – Brevoortia patronus
Family Clupeidae, HERRINGS Other local names: shad, pogies Description: to 18″ oval, deep and compressed; blue or green, sometimes bluish-brown above; sides and belly silvery, fins yellowish; distinct humeral spot often followed by several rows of smaller spots; head very large, exposed margin of scales almost vertical, fringed. Where found: large, near surface schools primarily […]
SPANISH SARDINE – Sardinella aurita
Family Clupeidae, HERRINGS Description: back bluish gray, sometimes greenish; sides silvery to brassy; slender body. Where found: in schools ranging from N. Gulf of Mexico to Brazil Size: up to 10″ Remarks: an abundant fish, representing a resource so far only utilized locally. Mark MayoI research and report on fishing, fishing gear/equipment, survival topics, and […]
SCALED SARDINE – Harengula jaguana
Family Clupeidae, HERRINGS Description: solid back with dark streaks, usually single small dark spot at upper edge of opercule and sometimes one at shoulder. Where found: N. Gulf of Mexico to Brazil Size: up to 18″ Remarks: commonly caught with strings of wire loops. Mark MayoI research and report on fishing, fishing gear/equipment, survival topics, […]
ATLANTIC THREAD HERRING – Opisthonema oglinum
Family Clupeidae, HERRINGS Other local names: gizzard shad Description: back dark blue/gray, sides silvery, belly white; small head Where found: in salt water from Cape Cod to Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico Size: up to 16″ Remarks: has scales on ridge of back before dorsal fin. Mark MayoI research and report on fishing, fishing gear/equipment, […]
AMERICAN SHAD – Alosa sapidissima
Family Clupeidae, HERRINGS Description: color of back green or greenish blue with metallic lustre; silvery sides, white underneath (colors darken when fish enters fresh water to spawn); belly with scutes forming distinct keel; one or more dark spots in a row behind operculum; lower jaw with pointed tip that fits into v-shaped notch in upper […]
BONEFISH – Albula vulpes
Family Albulidae, BONEFISHES Description: silvery color with bluish or greenish back; slender, round body; snout long, conical, aiming downward and overhanging lower jaw; dark streaks between scales on upper half of body and faint crossbands extending down to lateral line; extremities of dorsal and caudal fins shaded with black. Similar fish: ladyfish, Elops saurus. Where […]
TARPON – Megalops atlanticus
Family Elopidae, TARPONS Description: last ray of dorsal fin extended into long filament; one dorsal fin; back dark blue to green or greenish black, shading into bright silver on the sides; may be brownish gold in estuarine waters; huge scales; mouth large and points upward. Similar species: (as juveniles) ladyfish, Elops saurus. Where found: primarily […]
LADYFISH – Elops saurus
Family Elopidae, TARPONS Description: terminal mouth; slender body; small scales; last dorsal ray not elonged; head small and pointed. Similar fish: juvenile tarpon, Megalops atlanticus. Where found: INSHORE fish, in bays and estuaries; occasionally enters freshwater, occurring in tidal pools and canals; often forms large schools and harasses bait at the surface. Size: 2 to […]
SOUTHERN STINGRAY – Dasyatis americana
Family Dasyatidae, STINGRAYS Identification: disk almost a perfect rhombus, with pointed corners; ventral finfold on tail long and relatively high, dorsal finfold rows near shoulder; disk usually uniform dark brown above, grayer in young. Size: to 1.8 m (6 ft.) across disk. Where found: common in bays and estuaries. Remarks: the largest stingray along our […]