Threadfin, king Polydactylus macrochir

Macleay

POLYNEMIDAE FAMILY
Also known as threadfin salmon, Burnett salmon, Cooktown salmon, tassel fish, putty nose

It is found from the Queensland coast of Australia to the Gulf of Papua. Most abundant in the Northern Territory and northern part of Western Australia, it is a species of shallow coastal waters, occurring over muddy bottoms and in rivers, bays, and estuaries.

Its most obvious feature is the long, trailing filaments that extend from the pectoral area (around the throat), and which serve as feelers in the murky, discolored waters with which threadfins typically are associated.

It is one of the largest threadfin species, attaining weights of over 66 lb (30 kg). It is distinguished from similar species of its family by the fact that is has five filaments (as opposed to three or four in most Indo Pacific species) and by its pectoral fin rays, which are simple instead of branched. The Indian threadfin (Polynemus indicus), another large species, also has five filaments, but its pectoral rays are branched, each ray forming a pair at the extremity.

Its color is generally silvery with a darker, blue grayish back. The pectoral fins are orangish; the dorsal fins and tail, slaty gray. Live fish may have a golden to pinkish flush over the silvery sides, and this is believed by some to have led to the misnomer, “salmon” In fact, the threadfins are in no way related to the salmons or to their relatives of the Salmonidae family.

It has a deeply forked tail and two fairly large dorsal fins of approximately equal size. The tail lobes are long but do not end in extended filaments as they do in the Indian threadfin. The single anal fin is similar in size and shape to the second dorsal fin.

Fishing for threadfins is best when a run in or run out tide is underway, clouding and muddying up the waters, at the mouths of estuaries and saltwater creeks. It seems to prefer foraging for its food (crabs, prawns, and the like) under the cover of a top layer of sediment. Live baits fished at night have also been known to catch large specimens, as have poppers and plugs at dusk. It is a “lazy” swimmer like the bonefish when foraging, but might be described as a tornado on a string once hooked, seemingly going in all directions at once. It may also leap from the water or streak off on long runs.

It is frequently compared with the barramundi for its eating quality

Seabass, Japanese (Suzuki) Lateolabrax japonicus

Cuvier, 1828

LATEOLABRACIDAE FAMILY


Endemic to the northeastern Pacific from Japan south to Taiwan and the East and South China seas. It is known to frequent river mouths and shallow inshore bays, surf, and rocky reef areas as well as deeper waters. The young occasionally ascend rivers in summer. It is more wide ranging than its very close “cousin” the blackfin seabass, Lateolabrax latus.

It is elongate and compressed. Its body is less deep and stocky than is that of the blackfin seabass. The tail is slightly forked and the mouth is large with the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper. Young fish have small black spots on the back and dorsal fin. These tend to disappear in larger fish, although specimens from the Ariake Sea, Japan, seem to retain the small spots. Large specimens taken in the Yellow Sea and Gulf of Po Hai have been found to have large, distinct black spots.

The first dorsal fin has 12 15 spines followed by 12 14 soft rays in the second dorsal fin. The anal fin has 3 spines and 7 9 soft rays. The lateral line pore count is 71 86. The Japanese seabass differs from the blackfin seabass in meristics (fin ray counts), body depth, and other characteristics. (See blackfin seabass.)

Claims submitted to IGFA for record consideration have shown white, clear, or dusky (but not black) dorsal fin spines and membranes. The body above the midline is generally darker than in the “blackfin” species, which is more silvery and usually lacks spots.

Japanese seabass spawn from November to January in the deeper rocky reef areas near bays. After spawning they move into shallow waters to feed. Their diet includes sardines, anchovies and shrimp, as well as other small fishes and crustaceans. They can be taken by bait fishing with small fish or crustaceans, or by slow trolling, jigging, or casting with feathers, plugs, flashy jigs or spoons at any level from the bottom to the surface. Best fishing is said to be at night and dawn near the surface. The largest fish are caught in fall and winter. As a food fish or a game fish the Japanese seabass is very highly rated

Cobia Rachycentron canadum

Linnaeus, 1766

RACHYCENTRIDAE FAMILY
Also called ling, lemonfish, black salmon, black kingfish, sergeant fish, crab eater, runner, cabio.

Worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters both offshore and inshore. Adult cobia seem to prefer shallow continental shelf waters. They particularly like buoys, pilings, wrecks, anchored boats, flotsam, etc., and will sometimes congregate around these objects.

It is the only known member of the family Rachycentridae. It has a long, broad, depressed head. The overall appearance of the fish is similar to that of a small shark, given the shape of the body, the powerful tail fin, and the elevated anterior portion of the second dorsal fin. Even more striking is it's resemblance to the remora. The most noticeable difference between these two species is the suction pad on the remora's head. The cobia is known to swim with sharks and other large species as the remora does.

The cobia's coloration and markings are distinctive. The back is dark chocolate brown while the sides are lighter with alternate horizontal stripes of brown and silver or bronze and white. The markings on smaller specimens are more vivid; the black and dark stripes are blacker, making the lighter areas stand out more.

The cobia is a highly rated, hard hitting game fish that is prone to long, powerful, determined runs and occasional leaps. Often when one is hooked the entire school will surface along with it. Preferred fishing methods are trolling with lures or baits, bottom fishing, jigging, chumming, and spin casting. They can be caught on crustaceans (which is why they are nicknamed “crab eaters” in Australia) as well as on smaller fishes. Good baits are squid, crabs, small live fishes, cut baits, and strip baits. Spoons, plugs, and weighted feathers can also be used. They rate high as table fare

Roosterfish Nematistius pectoralis

Gill, 1862

NEMATISTIIDAE FAMILY


Occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California to Peru. most commonly off Ecuador. An in shore species, it is found in the surf, over sandy bottoms, and in moderate depths. the maximum movement being about 300 miles (483 km).

The distinctive dorsal fins of the roosterfish normally remain retracted in a deep groove along the fish's back, but when the fish is excited the fins rise. There are two dark blue or black, curved bands on the flanks. One begins from the front and the other from the back of the first dorsal fin. Both run diagonally down the flanks towards the front of the anal fin then curve smoothly and run along the flanks to the tail base. The dorsal spines are banded with alternate dark and light stripes and the lower base of the pectoral fins is black.

It is a predator of small fishes. When hooked or in pursuit of prey it will raise its dorsal fin like a flag and leap repeatedly, greyhounding over the surface. Fishing methods are trolling or casting baits and lures, or live bait fishing from a boat or shore.

The roosterfish has strong local commercial value. The flesh is tasty and of good quality

Tuna, bigeye (Atlantic) Thunnus obesus

Lowe, 1836

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY


Found in warm temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, this schooling, pelagic, seasonally migratory species is suspected of making rather extensive migrations. Schools bigeye tuna generally run deep during the day. Schools of bluefin, yellowfin and some others are known to occasionally swim at the surface, especially in warm water.

The pectoral fins may reach to the second dorsal fin. The second dorsal and anal fins never reach back as far as those of large yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). It has a total of 23 31 gill rakers on the first arch. The margin of the liver is striated. The two dorsal fins are close set, the first having 13 14 spines and the second, 14 16 rays. The anal fin has 11 15 rays. On either side of the caudal peduncle there is a strong lateral keel between two small keels that are located slightly farther back on the tail. The scales are small except on the anterior corselet. The vent is oval or teardrop shaped, not round as in the albacore. The first dorsal fin is deep yellow. The second dorsal fin and the anal fin are blackish brown or yellow and may be edged with black. The finlets are bright yellow with narrow black edges. The tail does not have a white trailing edge like that of the albacore. Generally, there are no special markings on the body, but some specimens may have vertical rows of whitish spots on the venter.

At one time it was not recognized as a separate species but considered a variation of the yellowfin tuna. They are similar in many respects, but the bigeye's second dorsal and anal fins never grow as long as those of the yellowfin. In the bigeye tuna the margin of the liver is striated and the right lobe is about the same size as the left lobe, in the yellowfin tuna the liver is smooth and the right lobe is clearly longer than either the left or the middle lobe.

Its diet includes squid, crustaceans, mullet, sardines, small mackerels and some deep water species. Fishing methods are trolling deep with squid, mullet or other small baits, or artificial lures and live bait fishing in deep waters with similar baits. It is an excellent food or sport fish, an important commercial species

Grouper, broomtail Mycteroperca xenarcha

Jordan, 1888

SERRANIDAE FAMILY


Broomtail grouper can be distinguished from other eastern Pacific grouper by the exserted ray on the tail, giving the fish its namesake broomtail appearance. Broomtail have a broad distribution stretch from southern California south to Peru. Juveniles may be found inshore around mangrove estuaries, while adults are typically found offshore to depths of 60 meters. They are savage ambush predators that must be quickly turned once hooked before they can retreat into structure.

Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis

Bloch, 1790

LOBOTIDAE FAMILY
Also called buoy fish, buoy bass, blackfish, chobie, triplefin, flasher, lumpfish, snagdrifter, croupia roche, matsudai, dormilona, black perch, jumping cod

A cosmopolitan fish, tripletail live in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide. Their range is widespread through the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

They are deep bodied perch like fish with rounded dorsal and anal fins extending almost to the tail. At first glance they appear to have three tails, hence the most commonly used name, tripletail. Their color varies widely, from shades of yellow brown, to dark brown or black with ill defined spots and mottling.

They are most often found floating on or near the surface, hanging very near buoys (hence buoy fish or buoy bass), pier pilings or floating debris, or drifting along with currents imitating other buoyant objects. They can also be found lurking around bottom structure such as wrecks.

All types of tackle can be used but a 30 or 40 lb (15 or 20 kg) leader or shock tippet is desirable, because once hooked tripletail will almost invariably head back to the barnacle covered refuge where found. While live shrimp seem to be the preferred bait of many anglers, tripletails will hit dead baits, jigs, plugs or shrimp pattern flies and popping bugs.

They may look like a lazy, slow fish floating at the surface, but they can move quickly when they strike, and can exhibit surprisingly powerful lunges and occasional jumps when hooked. They also grow to a substantial size, possibly reaching a weight of 50 lbs (22.68 kg) and the white, fine textured fillets are excellent eating

Shark, white Carcharodon carcharias

Linnaeus, 1758

LAMNIDAE FAMILY
Also called great white shark, white pointer, white death, man eater

Occurs worldwide, most commonly in cool temperate seas. It is best known in parts of the central and western Pacific, especially off Australia and New Zealand. On the Pacific coast of the U.S. it stays in the cool, southbound in shore current off California, but does not occur in California's warmer off shore waters. It is known to occur as far north as Nova Scotia in the western Atlantic and northern Spain in the eastern Atlantic. In the winter it occurs south of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. It is also known to enter the Mediterranean Sea.

Though basically a deep water oceanic species, it does come in fairly close to shore off California because of the cool current and to feed on marine mammals. It also frequents Australian and South African beaches and is suspected of entering saltwater creeks.

The snout is conical and ends in a point, hence the name “white pointer”. There is a large, very prominent, flattened keel on either side of the caudal peduncle. It can be distinguished from all other sharks by its teeth, which are large and triangular like stone arrowheads, with sharp, serrated cutting edges. The great “white” shark is actually a grayish brown color above, fading to an off white on the belly. The pectoral fins are black tipped, and there is a black oval spot on the body just above them.

Its diet includes fish, squid and other sharks as well as sea turtles, seals, sea lions, and sea gulls. This shark has attacked small boats, sometimes sinking them, and has been known to take a larger boat by the propeller and shake it.

Fishing methods include bait fishing with large fish chunks while chumming and also trolling.

Despite its infamy, the great white shark is a relatively uncommon species. It reaches sexual maturity at a length of 11 14 ft (3 4 m). It is probably the most dangerous of all sharks as far as size, strength, ability and disposition to attack are concerned. The flesh is edible, though rarely eaten

Bass, spotted Micropterus punctulatus

Rafinesque, 1819

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called Kentucky bass, Kentucky spotted bass, northern spotted bass, Alabama spotted bass, Wichita spotted bass, black bass

There are three recognized subspecies of the spotted bass: the northern spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus punctulatus), the Alabama spotted bass (Micropterus p. henshalli), and the Wichita spotted bass (Micropterus p. wichitae). spotted bass can be found throughout the central and lower Mississippi basin to the Gulf of Mexico (from Texas to the Florida panhandle), including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and other nearby states where it occurs naturally or has been introduced. The Wichita spotted bass appears to be limited to the West Cache Creek, Oklahoma. The Alabama spotted bass has been introduced into California.

Many anglers who catch a spotted bass believe they have caught a largemouth bass (M salmoides), undoubtedly because the coloration is similar, both having a greenish hue and a broad stripe of diamonds or blotches along the midline of the body. The spotted bass, like all black basses except the largemouth, has scales on the base portion of the second dorsal fin, its first and second dorsal fin are clearly connected, and its upper jaw bone does not extend back to or beyond the rear edge of the eyes. The spotted bass is also often confused with the smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu), but it lacks the vertical bars that are present on the sides of the body in the smallmouth. The spotted bass also has small black spots below the lateral line (the rear edges of certain scales are black) unlike either the largemouth or the smallmouth. Juveniles of the species resemble the young of smallmouth bass in having a broad band of orange at the base of the tail, followed by a broad black band and white edge. Because of the difficulty in recognizing the species, it is probable that record size specimens of spotted bass have gone unnoticed.

The smallmouth bass is known to hybridize in nature with the spotted bass, which could make identification of some specimens where both species are known to occur, even more difficult. Where depth permits, it appears that spotted bass usually stay deeper than smallmouths. In one lake in the TVA system in Tennessee, spotted bass have been taken at depths of up to 100 ft (30.4 m). Smallmouth bass, on the other hand, were not caught below 60 ft (18.2 m), and largemouths were always caught right near the surface

Huchen Hucho hucho

Linnaeus, 1758

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called huchon, Danube salmon, Danube trout, sulec, mladica

Endemic to Europe, where it is restricted to the Danube River and its tributaries, and occasionally in lakes within the Danube basin. It also occurs in the basin of the Prut River. Introduced into other European rivers early in the 1900's, it was largely unsuccessful. In the Thames River in England it was established at least until the 1930's. Some believe it still exists there with a few being caught each year but misidentified as brown trout (Salmo trutta). Unlike the brown trout and the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), both of which the huchen resembles, it stays in the river systems and does not migrate to the sea.

Within Europe, it will not be confused with any species except the brown trout or the Atlantic salmon, which are also members of the Salmonidae family. The huchen can be identified by counting the scales along the lateral line. It has by far the smallest scales numbering 180 200 as compared to 110 120 in the brown trout (called sea trout in Europe), and 120 130 in the Atlantic salmon. It is completely covered with minute black speckles, but never has the red spots which may be present on the brown trout and Atlantic salmon.

This is a popular fish. Part of its popularity is due to the fact that it grows to at least 114 lb (52 kg), making it one of the largest species in the salmon family. A larger fish, also a subspecies of the genus Huch, the taimen, Hucho hucho taimen, reportedly grows to over 200 lb (91 kg).

Because it is relatively rare, it is not common food fish, nor is it as highly valued as other salmonids. However, it is of good quality and is certainly edible. In all of its range, the huchen is presently endangered by commercialization and habitat deterioration

Shark, mako Isurus spp

Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 and Isurus paucus Guitart Manday, 1966

LAMNIDAE FAMILY
Also called shortfin mako shark, longfin mako shark, blue pointer, short nosed mackerel shark, bonito shark

Found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate seas, these solitary, pelagic, fast swimming species rarely come in close to shore. The shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, is most often encountered by anglers as it is more likely to move in shore on occasion. The longfin mako, Isurus paucus, is a widely distributed off shore species considered rare in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, except along the coast of Cuba. It is taken almost exclusively on longlines.

Makos have a streamlined, well proportioned body and a conical pointed snout. The longfin mako has a blunter snout and a larger eye than the shortfin and much longer pectoral fins. There is a large, prominent, flattened keel on either side of the caudal peduncle. It can be easily distinguished from all other sharks by its teeth, which are like curved daggers with no cusps at the base or serrations along the razor shark edges. The front surface is flat and the teeth are curved inward. The back of the shortfin mako is a brilliant blue gray or cobalt blue and the sides are light blue, changing to snowy white on the belly including the lower jaw. The longfin mako is also blue above with light blue sides, and is white below except for the jaw. In life the mako's colors are the most strikingly beautiful of all the mackerel sharks. After death the colors fade to grayish brown.

The mako is a known enemy of the broadbill swordfish. In one case a 730 lb (331 kg) mako was found to have swallowed a 120 lb (54 kg) swordfish whole. It has been implicated in attacks on humans and is the undisputed leader in attacks on boats. A hooked mako will unleash all its fury, reportedly leaping as high as 30 ft (10 m) out of the water. It may roll, shake, dive, and charge the boat. It has also been known to bite the boat and occasionally to leap into it, causing severe injuries to the angler and wreaking havoc in the cockpit.

Fishing methods include trolling with whole tuna, mullet, squid, mackerel, or lures and also, chumming or live bait fishing with similar baits. Many are hooked incidentally while trolling for marlins. The flesh is excellent and said to be similar to swordfish.

The mackerel sharks (mako, white and porbeagle) are all ovoviviparous, the eggs hatch inside the mother and the young are born alive

Trout, bull Salvelinus confluentus

Suckley, 1858

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called western brook trout, Rocky Mountain trout, red spotted salmon trout, red spotted char

Endemic to the Pacific northwest, it inhabits most of the major drainages on both sides of the Continental Divide. It seems to prefer large, cold rivers and lakes draining high mountainous areas, and tends to frequent the bottoms of deep pools. It has been recorded in northern California, Oregon, Washington, northern Nevada, Idaho, western Montana, Alberta and British Columbia.

Though described and named by Suckley in 1858, for over a century it was confused with the Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) and much of the literature on the Dolly Varden is actually based in part or whole on the bull trout. In 1978, Ted M. Cavender, a fishery scientist, published scientific proof that the bull trout is a separate species [Calif. Fish & Game 64 (3): 139 74]. According to Cavender, separation of the two species is”based primarily on characteristics of the head and cranial skeleton”. He further states that “some of the characters that have been employed for many years in Salvelinus taxonomy, such as numbers of gill rakers and pyloric caeca, will not separate S. malma and S. confluentus. This is one reason why it has not been recognized as a distinct form”.

It resembles the Dolly Varden in external characters, and will probably require laboratory analysis by a scientist familiar with the species to be positively identified. As a rule one can be fairly certain that any char other than the lake trout (S. namaycush) or the brook trout (S. fontinalis), weighing over 12 lb (5.44 kg) and taken in the areas mentioned, will prove to be a bull trout. (See “Salmons, Trouts & Chars”.)

The bull trout and the Dolly Varden are not as highly rated as game fish as most other members of the Salmonidae family, but they do have considerable sporting and food value and are gaining esteem

Seabass, white Atractoscion nobilis

Ayres, 1860

SCIAENIDAE FAMILY
Also called Catalina salmon, seatrout, croaker

Inhabits the eastern Pacific between Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico to Juneau Alaska. They are usually found near the mainland shore over sandy bottom or around near kelp beds, but they may also be found in shallow surf or deeper waters.

There are no barbels on the chin. A characteristic raised ridge exists along the midline of the belly between the vent and the base of the pelvic (ventral) fins. There is a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin. Adults are steel blue to gray above with golden highlights, silvery below. Young fish up to about 18 in (45 cm) may have 3 6 broad, dark vertical bars on the flanks, but these disappear with age.

It may be taken by drift fishing or still fishing with live baits or by slow trolling, jigging or casting with feathers or small, flashy metal lures. They eat sardines, anchovies, squid, small mackerel and other small fishes and crustaceans. Most are caught near the mainland shore and around Catalina and San Clemente Islands. The best fishing is said to be at night near the bottom. Off California the species is most numerous from about May to September.

The white seabass and its relatives are weakfishes. The name “weakfish” refers to the tender, easily torn mouth tissues characteristic of these fishes, not their fighting ability. “Seabass” and “seatrout” are misnomers for Atractoscion and Cynoscion species, which are not related to either bass or trout.

White seabass are a prized game fish and an excellent food species. The flesh spoils quickly, and should be eaten soon after capture

Mackerel, cero Scomberomorus regalis

Bloch, 1793

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called cero, spotted cero, king mackerel, black spotted Spanish mackerel, sierra, pintada, cavalla

While known from New England to Brazil, cero are primarily fish of the tropical and sub tropical reefs. They are common throughout the Florida Keys, West Indies, and Cuba. It is the most common Scomberomorus species in the West Indies.

Cero differ from the king mackerel and Spanish mackerel in having a pattern of both yellow spots, yellow orange streaks, and a dark color line running the length of the body, and a lateral line that gradually curves down toward the caudal peduncle. The anterior third of the first dorsal fin is black like the Spanish mackerel. The pectoral fins are covered with small scales like the king mackerel.

They are an epipelagic species that are most abundant in the clear waters around coral reefs, usually found solitary or in small groups. They feed mainly on small schooling fishes, especially sardines, herrings, pilchards, anchovies and silversides and sometimes squids and shrimps.

They are popular game fish and are frequently taken by commercial fishermen. Sometimes, cero are used as rigged bait for larger game fish. Fishing methods are identical for cero and Spanish mackerel. As with any mackerel fishing, fast trolling while looking for baitfish is a good way to find ceros. Common lures include small silver spoons and white jigs. They also hit surface swimming plugs, chuggers, and shallow running plugs. They have sharp teeth so a wire leader is essential.

Cero reportedly attain a weight in excess of 22 lb (10 kg), but most caught are much smaller. They are considered to be excellent table fare

Tarpon, oxeye Megalops cyprinoides

Broussonet, 1782

MEGALOPIDAE FAMILY
Also called indo-Pacific tarpon, ox-eye herring, bulan-bulan, buan-buan, hairen.

The oxyeye tarpon is broadly distributed in the Indo-Pacific. It is found in the Red Sea and Natal, South Africa to the Society Islands, north to southern Korea and south to the Arafura Sea, New South Wales. It is restricted to high islands in Micronesia. This species is reported as far inland as the lower Shire in Malawi and the Save-Runde junction in Zimbabwe and widespread in the Lower Zambezi River channels up to Marromeu and in the Micelo River up to Malingapanzi.

Like its only close relative, the large Atlantic tarpon, the oxeye's most distinguishing features are a long trailing filament at the back of its dorsal fin and silver coloration. The lower jaw projects beyond snout and a bony gular plate is present between the jawbones.

Adults are generally found at sea, but young inhabit river mouths, inner bays, and mangrove forests. In freshwater, it occurs in rivers, lagoons, lakes, and swampy backwaters. Oxeyes can tolerate oxygen-poor water by "breathing" air into a lung-like air bladder; they can also tolerate a wide range of salinities from 0 to 100 ppt.

Larvae of oxyeye tarpon are transparent and resemble larval eels like their close relatives, the large tarpon, ladyfish and bonefish. While they can be cultured in ponds, the fry are collected in the wild from coastal waters.

This small relative of the giant tarpon is exciting sport on light tackle or fly and requires a quick reaction to fast strikes. Like tarpon of any size, the oxeye is an extremely explosive fighter known for spectacular jumps and "long-distance releases." Because of the hard, raspy jaw, a shock leader is necessary when targeting the oxyeye tarpo

Trahira Hoplias spp

ERYTHRINIDAE FAMILY
Also called anyumara, patakka, amaira, tararira, trairão, dorme-dorma, lobó, perro, guabina, tigerfish

This South America fish occurs in the Amazon Basin, Orinoco Basin, and coastal rivers in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. They occur in diverse habitats from free flowing clear water streams to slow turbid waters. Trahira prefer shallow water along shorelines amid water plants, where they wait for fish, frogs and insect that are their prey.

Trahira are voracious predators with large mouths and very sharp canine-like teeth. Its body is dark brown or black with gray spots. The cylindrical fish large eyes and heavy scales, fins are rounded except the dorsal fin. Some trahira species can reach about 39 in (100 cm) and 30 lb (14 kg), although smaller fish are usually encountered.

Anglers find the trahira to be an extremely voracious, attacking natural and artificial lures as well as flies. Noisy lures such as poppers and spinners baits seem to attract the trahira and make fishing more productive. Trahira are edible, but not highly prized because the flesh is quite bony

Snapper, mutton Lutjanus analis

Cuvier, 1828

LUTJANIDAE FAMILY


It is one of the most common snapper from Florida to South America. Occasionally, it reaches as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as southeastern Brazil.

It is a handsome fish, varying from orangish to reddish yellow with small blue streaks on the head, back and flanks, and orangish fins. The colors may vary, as with most species of fish. A combination of factors distinguish it from other snappers. There is a black, oval shaped spot on the upper flank on each side, the anal fin and rear edge of the dorsal fin is angulate (pointed rather than rounded), the tail is lunate, and the dorsal fin has ten spines and fourteen rays.

Although at first glance the mutton snapper and the lane snapper may look exactly alike, both having similar coloration, a lunate tail and even the same oval spot on the upper flanks, a closer look will reveal that the lane snapper has yellow streaks or horizontal stripes on the body, whereas the mutton snapper has small, oblique, blue streaks on a yellowish background, though these tend to disappear with age. Also, the anal fin and rear edge of the dorsal fin of the lane snapper are not sharply pointed but appear to be squarish or even rounded. Of all the species of Lutjanidae having a dark spot on the flanks below the dorsal fin, the mutton snapper (L. analis) is the only one in which the tooth patch in the roof of the mouth has no median extension and resembles a crescent rather than an anchor shape. Large mutton snappers take on a reddish coloration and are often mistaken for red snappers.

They attain weights in excess of 25 30 lb (11 14 kg). They are strong fighters on light tackle and can be taken on natural baits or small lures fished or slowly trolled near the bottom. Normally associated with reefs, wrecks, holes, and channels, they are nevertheless occasionally found on the flats and can be caught there by fly fishing. They may also be lured to the surface and caught on a fly.

The flesh is firm and white and is excellent eating whether baked, broiled, or prepared by any other method

Gar, shortnose Lepisosteus platostomus

Rafinesque, 1820

LEPISOSTEIDAE FAMILY


This gar occurs from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico, but is essentially limited to the low gradient portions of the Mississippi River basin. It can withstand higher turbidity than most gars, and is common in calm backwater areas of rivers as well as in lakes and other such waters, frequently where little or no aquatic vegetation is present. In U.S. it can be found from northern Alabama to Oklahoma and down through Louisiana to the Gulf. In the north, it has a broad range in the river systems that feed the Mississippi from southern Ohio to Montana.

Because the shortnose gar occurs in many of the same areas (specifically the fertile Mississippi drainage system) as the alligator gar (Lepisosteus spatula), the spotted gar (L. oculatus), and the longnose gar (L. osseus), identifying it involves a process of elimination. It isn't what it is unique for, but rather what the other species have that sets them apart. The alligator gar has two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, while all other gars have only one row. The spotted gar and its close relative the Florida gar (L. platyrhincus) have spots on top of the head, over the entire body, and on all the fins. The spots on other gars are confined mainly to the rear portion of the bodies and on the fins, never on the head. The longnose gar is distinguished by its beak or snout which is 18 20 times as long as it is wide at its narrowest point, a considerably greater length to width ratio than in other species. The beak of the shortnose gar is only about 5½ times as long as its narrowest width.

Like all gars, the shortnose gar is a good sport fish. Though edible, it is not popular. The dark green eggs of the gars are poisonous, and cause violent illness in humans and death in small animals and birds. Fish seem to suffer no harm from them

Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri

Cuvier, 1832

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called oahu fish, Pacific kingfish

Worldwide in tropical and warm temperate seas. Pelagic and seasonally migratory, it tends to be a loner or travel in small groups of 2 to 6 fish. There are indications of seasonal concentrations off the Pacific coasts of Panama, Costa Rica and Baja California in the summer, off Grand Cayman (Atlantic) in the winter and spring, and off the western Bahamas and Bermuda in the spring and fall.

The upper jaw is movable and the teeth are large, strong and laterally compressed. The well defined lateral line dips noticeably near the middle of the first dorsal fin, further forward than on the similar looking tanguigue (Scomberomorus commerson), and is wavy back to the tail. The back is a brilliant, deep, blue sometimes described as metallic or electric blue. Bright blue vertical bands, or “tiger stripes”, flow down the sides onto the silver and sometimes join into pairs on the belly. These beautiful stripes are not, however, always prominent in large specimens and occasionally may be missing entirely.

It is found around wrecks and reefs where smaller fish that it feeds upon are abundant, but it may also be found far out at sea.

It is reputed to be one of the fastest fish in the sea, attaining speeds of 50 mph (80 km) and more. The first scorching run may peel off several hundred yards of line in seconds. Occasionally this fish jumps on the strike and often shakes its head violently when hooked in an effort to free itself. Fishing methods include trolling with whole, rigged baits as well as with strip baits or artificial lures. Live bait fishing and kite fishing are productive, but the wahoo is a relatively scarce species and is usually taken incidentally while fishing for other oceanic species. The wahoo has commercial importance in some countries. The flesh is finely grained and sweet and is considered excellent eating

Trout, rainbow Oncorhynchus mykiss

Walbaum, 1792

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called steelhead, Kamloops, redband trout, Eagle Lake trout, Kern River trout, Shasta trout, San Gorgonio trout, Nelson trout, Whitney trout, silver trout

It is native to the west coast of North America from southern Alaska to Durango, Mexico and inland as far as central Alberta in Canada and Idaho and Nevada in the U.S. It has been extensively introduced across the lower Canadian provinces and throughout the area of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast, south in the Appalachians to northern Georgia and Alabama, east in the southern U.S. to western Texas and sporadically in the central U.S. as well as above the Great Lakes on the Atlantic coast. It has been transplanted to New Zealand, Australia, South America, Africa, Japan, southern Asia, Europe and Hawaii. An Asian species known as the Kamchatka trout is believed to be a form of the rainbow trout. It is native to the Amur River in the eastern part of Russia as well as Kamchatka and the Commander Islands.

Coloration varies greatly with size, habitat and spawning periods. For example, stream dwellers and spawners usually show the darkest and most vivid colors and markings, while the steelhead is silvery when it returns from the sea. Though noted for the broad red or pink stripe along the middle of its sides, this stripe may not be present on all forms, particularly the sea run steelhead and immature specimens in clear lakes. A similar stripe is sometimes present on the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) and the cutthroat trout (O. clarki), though the golden trout usually has about 10 prominent parr marks on the sides through adulthood (uncommon but not unheard of in adult rainbows). The cutthroat can usually be distinguished by the yellow, orange, or red streak in the skin fold on each side under the lower jaw. In some waters rainbow trout may faintly display this streak in the skin fold, but most do not.

The rainbow and its closest relatives in the Pacific salmon group (cutthroat, golden, Mexican golden, Arizona native or Apache, and gila trout) are known as the “black spotted” trouts because they are covered with numerous prominent black spots. These spots may cover the entire body or may be more abundant near the tail. The spots characteristically extend onto the dorsal fin, the adipose fin, and the tail. Those on the tail radiate outward in an even, orderly pattern. Spots may or may not be present on any of the lower fins and there are never any red spots such as occur on freshwater and spawning specimens of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (S. salar). The rainbow trout readily hybridizes with other “black spotted” trout, especially with the cutthroat and golden trout. In fact, all these trout hybridize wherever they occur together producing fertile offspring with all manner of confusing color combinations and intermediate characteristics.

This is an extremely valuable species in any and all of its forms. It is the fly fisherman's delight as it takes a fly readily, leaps often, and fights hard. Though there is no direct commercial demand for the rainbow it is taken by Pacific salmon fishermen and it is pond reared in Europe and Japan to be sold as frozen whole fish. The flesh ranges from bright red in small lake and stream populations to pink or white in large lake, stream, and steelhead populations in which the diet is primarily piscivorous. It is excellent regardless of color and may be cooked in any manner desired

Perch, Nile Lates niloticus

Linneaus, 1758

CENTROPOMIDAE FAMILY
Also called giant perch, Niger perch

Endemic to the African continent, they can be found in rivers and lakes in tropical regions. It is known to be present in the Blue and White Niles, the Niger and Benue rivers, and in lakes Rudolph, Albert, Tanganyika, Fayoum, and Menzaleh. Good Nile perch fishing is well known below the Aswan Dam and at the junction of the Blue and White Niles. Until recently, there were no Nile perch in Lake Victoria, but recent introductions of this species into Lake Victoria have been extremely successful, and the species is said to be prolific there now due to the availability of plentiful forage fish.

It looks very much like a larger version of the barramundi, in fact, they are close relatives in the Centropomidae Family. Adults Nile perch are generally brown to greenish brown above and silvery below. The top of the head is strongly depressed, as in the barramundi and its relative across the sea, the snook. It has a rounded (convex) tail.

Fish of 6.5 ft (2 m) long and weighing 176 lb (80 kg) have been caught and recorded by native fishermen and are said to be common. Much larger ones, up to 500 lb (226.8 kg) have been taken in nets but have gone unrecorded.

Fishing for Nile perch is best early or late in the day. Tigerfish and tilapia are common baits. Known for long, hard, powerful runs, the Nile perch provides the angler with the added benefit of being an excellent and popular eating fish with a tasty white meat

Sunfish, redear Lepomis microlophus

Gunther, 1859

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called shellcracker, stump knocker, yellow bream

This species is native to the U.S. Gulf states from Texas to Florida, including all of the Florida peninsula, and north to Indiana and North Carolina. Through introductions, the redear's range has been extended northward to the Great Lakes and transplanted populations also exist in the West.

This is a rather large sunfish known to reach over 4.5 lb (2.04 kg). As is typical of sunfishes, the redear has a small mouth, connected dorsal fins and a roundish, laterally compressed body. Its long, pointed, slightly falcate pectoral fins distinguish it from both the longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) and the redbreast sunfish (L. auritus), which have short, roundish pectoral fins. The opercular flap is also much shorter than in the other two species and is black, with a red spot or margin at the tip. It can be distinguished from the similar looking pumpkinseed (L. gibbosus) by the fact that its gill cover flap is semi-flexible and can be bent at least to right angles, whereas the flap on the pumpkinseed is rigid. It also lacks the spots on the dorsal fin and the bluish emerald lines on the sides of the head that are characteristic of the pumpkinseed. The body is slightly less compressed than that of the bluegill (L. macrochirus), which differs from the redear most noticeably in the fact that its gill cover flap is entirely black without any spot or trim.

Like the bluegill and other sunfishes, it is an excellent panfish with white, flaky meat. It is less likely to be caught on artificials, such as spinners or poppers, than the other sunfishes. It prefers small live baits such as worms, grubs, insects and sometimes shrimp. Rarely, the redear will take a small fly or other small lure. It is strictly an angler's fish and has no commercial value

Splake Salvelinus namaycush x S fontinalis

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called wendigo

It is a fertile cross between two chars, the lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and the brook trout (S. fontinalis). This hybridization does not occur in nature, but is propagated by man. Once crossed, however, this hybrid can reproduce itself. It has been “planted” in the Great Lakes and various other parts of North America, particularly in Ontario, Canada where a program for selective breeding of this hybrid has been underway for some time with considerable success.

The splake is difficult to identify externally because it resembles both parents in different aspects. The body shape is intermediate between the heavier lake trout and the slimmer brook trout. The shape of the tail is also intermediate. It is not as deeply forked as that of the lake trout, and more closely resembles the slightly indented tail of the brook trout. In coloration and markings, the splake more closely resembles the brook trout. It can be positively identified by the number of pyloric caeca, the worm like appendages on the intestinal tract right after the stomach. The brook trout, which is the smaller parent, has only 23 55 (usually less than 50) pyloric caeca, while the intermediate sized hybrid has 65 85, and the lake trout, the larger parent, has 93 208 (usually 120 180).

The quality of the splake as a food fish is excellent, and due to its initial fast growth rate and game nature it is highly regarded by anglers as well. The name “splake” is a combination of the words “speckled” from speckled trout, which is an alternate common name for brook trout, and “lake” from lake trout

Salmon, chum Oncorhynchus keta

Walbaum, 1792

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called dog salmon, fall salmon, autumn salmon

Endemic to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the Okhotsk Sea. In North America it occurs from the San Lorenzo River, California, to northwest Alaska, and east to the Peel, MacKenzie and possibly Anderson Rivers. During spawning it is known to ascend some rivers for considerable distances 1,242 mi or (2,000 km). In the MacKenzie River, N.W.T., Canada, it travels all the way to the mouth of the Hay River and to the rapids below Forth Smith on the Salve River, entering both Great Bear and Great Slave Lakes and traveling through the Northwest Territories to the edge of Alberta. Like all Pacific salmons, with the exception of landlocked specimens, the chum salmon is anadromous.

At sea, it is silvery and has no distinct black spots, though it may have fine black speckling on the upper sides and back. Spawning males turn olive green with blood red vertical markings reaching up the sides, making this one of the most easily recognized Pacific salmon species. The color of spawning females is less vivid, but essentially the same. Breeding males of the species have large, bared teeth, which may be the origin of the name “dog salmon,” though it is also said that this name evolved because this species was often fed to sled dogs.

The flesh is creamy white and the lowest of all the salmons in fat content. It is not as popular or as desirable as other Pacific salmons.

Together with the pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, it is sometimes called “autumn salmon” or “fall salmon” because it is the last salmon to make its spawning run. It begins entering the river mouths after mid June and reaches some spawning grounds as late as November or December. This late run severely affects its utilization as a sport fish, and it is not one of the most sought after by anglers

Snapper (squirefish) Pagrus auratus

Bloch, Schneider formerly Chrysophrys auratus or Pagurus major

SPARIDAE FAMILY
Also called pink snapper,

Widely distributed off the southern half of Australia, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, and the northern two thirds of New Zealand.

To avoid confusion with snappers in the family Lutjanidae, the American Fisheries Society refers to Pagrus auratus as a squirefish. In Australia, the names cockney, red bream, squire, and snapper or pink snapper are used for progressively larger fish. The name old man snapper refers to very large individuals with a distinctive bony hump on the head and a fleshy bulge on the snout.

The coloration of fresh caught snapper is generally reddish pink with a golden sheen, but color varies somewhat with habitat. Reef dwelling fish are much darker reddish brown where open water fish are a brighter pink, and snapper from soft muddy bottoms can be pale silvery pink.

They inhabit a variety of habitats at all ages, and a moderate depth range as adults. They are coastal fish, commonly found from 20 100 meters but may be right at the surface or down to at least 656 ft (200 m). They reportedly attains a weight of 43 lb (19.5 kg).

Fishing methods vary from surfcasting and jetty fishing to drift fishing, jigging or anchoring and using burley either presented at the surface or attached to an anchor chain. Hooks vary with the size of the fish targeted, from 4/0 for small snapper to 8/0 for real monsters. The hook must be razor sharp for the hard mouthed snapper. They are omnivorous feeders, eating nearly any kind of marine animals, making bait selection fairly easy. Pilchards, skipjack tuna, kahawai, bonito, soldier crabs, or something tough like octopus or cuttlefish work well, but the best baits (and burley) should be reasonably fresh.

They are considered an excellent table fish in New Zealand and Australia

Spearfish, Atlantic Tetrapturus spp

Includes: longbill spearfish, Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963; Mediterranean spearfish, Tetrapturus belone Rafinesque, 1810; roundscale spearfish Tetrapturus georgii Lowe, 1841;

ISTIOPHORIDAE FAMILY


The shortbill spearfish has a specific line class. Other spearfish inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean are in a separate line class as Atlantic spearfish, Tetrapturus spp.

The spearfishes are cosmopolitan, but nowhere are they abundant. The longbill spearfish is known to occur in the northwest Atlantic from New Jersey to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico. Japanese longliners have also recorded its occurrence in the north central Atlantic, in the south Atlantic, and off South Africa. The shortbill spearfish (T. angustirostris) is known in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is not reported to occur in the Mediterranean, but has been captured in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. The Mediterranean spearfish is known to occur only in the Mediterranean Sea.

Roundscale spearfish are found in both the eastern and western Atlantic. They bear an uncanny resemblance to white marlin, but can be distinguished by their longer branchiostegals and the position of the anus which is located four to six inches forward of the anal fin. This later characteristic separates the spearfishes from all other billfish.

The bill of the shortbill spearfish is barely longer than its lower jaw, whereas in the longbill spearfish it is about twice as long, but still quite short by billfish standards. The pectoral fins of the shortbill and Mediterranean spearfishes barely reach to the curve of the lateral line. In the longbill spearfish they extend beyond the curve. The longbill spearfish has more elements (45 to 53) in the first dorsal fin than any other Atlantic billfish. The shortbill spearfish of the Pacific has approximately the same count (47 50 elements), but the Mediterranean spearfish has fewer (39 46). The lateral line is single and arches above the pectoral fins. The dorsal fin is bright blue and has no spots. The vertical bars on the body are never as prominent as in other billfish and may show only slightly or not at all.

They are pelagic, off shore, deep water fishes. They feed at or near the surface, mainly on small and medium sized fishes and squids, including dolphin, sauries, flying fish, needlefish and pilot fish. They appear to be available all year in small numbers. Fishing methods are the same as for other billfish, but with lighter tackle. Most are taken incidentally. Spearfishes are fairly good eating, though the flesh is dark.

Available data indicate that the longbill spearfish matures by the age of two and rarely lives past three years of age. Maximum age may be four to five years.

Conger Conger conger

[Artedi, 1738] Linnaeus, 1758

CONGRIDAE FAMILY
Also called sea eel, eel pout

The conger is native to the eastern Atlantic; Norway and Iceland to Sénégal including the Mediterranean and western Black Sea. Occurrence in Western Pacific needs verification.

Eastern The conger is a large eel known to reach a length of 9 ft (2.4 m) and a weight of 143 lb (65 kg). It is easily distinguished from the moray eel by the presence of pectoral fins, which the moray lacks. It also has a longer snout, its upper jaw is slightly longer than its lower jaw, the head is narrower in appearance, and the dorsal fin does not extend quite as far forward as in the moray.

They inhabit relatively shallow waters in the vicinity of cover material such as rocks, reefs, pier pilings, and especially shipwrecks or other submerged objects suitable as hiding places. They are known to eat octopus, lobsters, crabs, and many types of reef fishes.

Fishing for conger is extremely popular in Britain. It's great strength, sharp teeth, ability to swim backward, and propensity for remaining in or near cover make it a formidable foe.. Because it remains in sheltered places, it is almost exclusively an anglers' fish since it is highly unlikely to be taken in a net. They should be considered dangerous when boated or speared as their teeth are strong and sharp. They are considered excellent food fish

Flounder, summer Paralichthys dentatus

Linnaeus, 1766

BOTHIDAE FAMILY
Also called fluke

Occurs in the western Atlantic from Maine to South Carolina and possibly to northeast Florida. It may be found in water as shallow as 6 in (15 cm) during the summer, though the largest specimens are found in depths of 8 to 10 fathoms. In the winter the large fish move offshore into depths of 25 to 80 fathoms.

The summer flounder is a left eyed flatfish. The eyed side always blends in perfectly with the sea bed. There is usually a scattering of 10 to 14 eye like spots on the body. As in other flatfish, the blind side is white and relatively featureless. The teeth are well developed on both sides of the jaws. The dorsal fin has 85 94 rays; the anal fin has 60 63 rays. There are only 5 or 6 gill rakers on the upper limb of the first arch and 11 21 on the lower limb.

Adults are largely piscivorous and highly predatory, feeding actively in midwater as well as on the bottom. They are often seen chasing bait fish at the surface. It is a rapid swimmer and a good light tackle game fish that provides lively action. It prefers sandy or muddy bottoms and is common in the summer months in bays, harbors, estuaries, canals, creeks, and along shorelines as well as in the vicinity of piers and bridges.

Drift fishing is the most common fishing method and probably the most effective, since drifting covers more bottom and keeps the bait or lure in motion. Many are also taken by chumming while fishing at anchor, by trolling, or by casting from shore or pier. Effective baits include strips cut from shark, fluke menhaden, herring, porgy, young bluefish, or sea robin; or a piece of blue crab. Effective lures include a small spoon, spinner, or feather. Some time must be allowed between the moment the flounder picks up the bait and the strike, or the bail may simply be yanked away. Inshore fishing is best on a running tide, and the largest fish are caught late in the season.

It is an excellent food fish; the flesh is white firm, and succulent. It is by far the most important flatfish of the Atlantic states

Bass, largemouth Micropterus salmoides

Lacepede, 1802

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called black bass, Oswego bass, green bass, green trout, Florida bass, Florida (or southern) largemouth, northern largemouth

Originally confined primarily to the eastern United States of American and portions of northern Mexico and southern Canada, this member of the sunfish family can be found in every state in the U.S.A., throughout Mexico and Central America, and in many other countries throughout the world.

The largemouth bass very closely resembles the smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and other species of the genus Micropterus (i.e., spotted bass, redeye bass, etc.). Together these fishes form a group that is referred to as the black basses. The largemouth can be distinguished from most similar species by the fact that its mouth extends at least to, and often beyond the rear edge of the eyes. Also, its first and second dorsal fins are almost separated by an obvious deep dip, and there are no scales on the soft rayed second dorsal fin. These characters are equally true of the Florida largemouth bass and the northern largemouth bass. In all other species of Micropterus the mouth does not extend to the back of the eyes, the two dorsal fins are clearly connected, usually with a slight dip between them, and the scales overlap the base portion of the second dorsal fin.

They are the most popular freshwater game fish. Much of its popularity is due to its pugnacious attitude and willingness to strike a lure or bait with explosive force. Research indicates that the largemouth bass is also the most intelligent freshwater fish, able to distinguish and avoid a particular type of lure after only one encounter with it. In fact, some bass lakes believed to be “fished out” contain plenty of bass but the fish have learned to recognize virtually all the lures in common use on the lake. In such cases, a lure that is new to them will often work where others have failed. By comparison the brook trout will strike a particular lure two, three or four times before it learns; sunfish and crappies will take the same lure repeatedl

Salmon, Chinook Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Walbaum, 1792

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called king salmon, spring salmon, tyee, quinnat, blackmouth

It is a member of the Pacific salmon genus Oncorhynchus and is both largest and least abundant of this group. It is endemic to the Pacific and rarely, the Arctic Ocean as well as the Bering Sea, the Okhotsk Sea, the Sea of Japan, and most of the rivers that flow into these waters; from Hokkaido in northern Japan to the Anadyr River in the former U.S.S.R., and from the Ventura River in southern California to Point Hope, Alaska. Since as early as 1872, it has been introduced into other waters around the world including the Great Lakes, Atlantic and Gulf states of the U.S., some areas of Central and South America, Europe, and the South Pacific. These transplanted populations apparently failed due to an inability to maintain spawning levels, with the exceptions of South Island in New Zealand, and to some degree in the Great Lakes. In Chile more recent transplants have shown hope of becoming established with some chinook returning to spawn.

Its body is typical of the Pacific salmon group (see “Salmons, Trouts, and Chars”). At sea, it is basically a silvery fish with spotting on the back, upper sides, top of the head, and all the fins, including all of the tail fin. Spawning chinooks are olive brown to purplish or even red and undergo a radical metamorphosis, especially the males which develop a large kype. One way to distinguish the chinook from other species is by its black mouth and gums. The similar looking coho, Oncorhynchus kisutch, has a black mouth, but white gums, except in the Great Lakes population where the gums may be gray or black.

It is the largest salmonid in North America, growing to at least 5 ft (1.52 m) and 126 lb (57 kg). It is an extremely important food and commercial fish, and due to its large size and game nature, an important sport fish. It is the only Pacific salmon in which the meat may be regularly either red or white, but the red meat commands a higher price

Catfish, channel Ictalurus punctatus

Rafinesque, 1818

ICTALURIDAE FAMILY


The channel catfish is currently distributed through most of the U.S. and parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico. In the U.S. it is most abundant in the central part of the country east to the Appalachians. Its occurrence is sparser and mostly by introduction along the west coast and east of the Appalachians.

Channel catfish prefer clean bottoms of sand or gravel in larger lakes and rivers. They feed mainly on crayfish, fishes, and insects generally at night in swifter moving currents. At spawning time they will enter and ascend small tributaries and streams.

The distinctive channel catfish can often be recognized at a glance by its deeply forked tail and spots on the body (though not all specimens have them). The only other catfish with forked tails occurring in U.S. waters are the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) and the white catfish (Ameiurus catus), neither of which is ever spotted.

In addition to the spotted specimens, some channel catfish may be entirely black dorsally (males during the spawning season), or dark blue without spots, or even uniformly light blue or silvery exactly like a blue catfish or white catfish. In the latter cases, the species can be identified by the number of rays in the anal fin. White catfish have 19 23 rays, channel catfish have 24 30, and blue catfish have the longest anal fin with 30 36 rays. Internally, the channel catfish has two chambers in the swim bladder and the blue catfish has three.

The channel catfish is very highly regarded for its food and sports value, and is reared commercially and transported throughout the country

Salmon, pink Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

Walbaum, 1792

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called humpback salmon, fall salmon

Endemic to the Pacific and Arctic oceans, Bering and Okhotsk seas, the Sea of Japan, and the rivers that flow into these waters. It occurs from Alaska south to the Sacramento River, California, throughout the Aleutian Islands, and northeast into the MacKenzie River, N.W.T., Canada. It has been introduced to Newfoundland and to the western coast of Lake Superior and is maintaining populations in these locations. Since the introduction into Newfoundland there have been sporadic reports of pink salmon in Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. It has spread through Lake Superior and is now spawning in tributaries of Lake Huron.

The smallest of the Pacific salmons, the usual size is 3 5 lb (1 2 kg). At sea they are silvery, as are all salmons. They can be identified by the large, black, oval shaped spots on both halves of the tail and large spots on the back and the adipose fin. At spawning time the male is easily recognized by its extremely humpbacked appearance. The male develops a kype at spawning time. The body of breeding males is pale red or “pink” on the sides with brown to olive green blotches.

The flesh is pink, rather than red or white, and although large numbers are caught commercially the pink salmon is regarded as less desirable than most other Pacific salmon.

The pink salmon and the chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, are often referred to as “autumn salmon” or “fall salmon” because of their late spawning runs

Peacock, speckled Cichla temensis

Humbolt, 1821

CICHLIDAE FAMILY
Also known as pavón cinchado, pavón pintado, pavón trucha, tucunare, and pavón venado

The speckled peacock is a world-class warm-water sportfish native to South America’s Orinoco and Amazon River Basins. It has been introduced into other countries and is established in southeastern Florida as a result of a deliberate introduction made in 1985.

Adult speckled peacocks are distinguished by blotches on the opercula and three vertical black bars on the body which become more pronounced with age. Another color phase may have 4-6 horizontal rows of light colored dashes along the sides and speckling over the rest of the body and fins. The above description may be confusing, but it combines what was thought to be two different species until 1981. This is the only Cichla spp. which has broken longitudinal lines and spots on the head, opercula and in caudal/dorsal fins, resulting in a speckled appearance.

An excellent game fish, the speckled peacock can be caught on spin, bait-casting or fly tackle. Their pound-for-pound power is brutal, even when matched to heavy tackle. They will strike plugs, spoons, spinners, streamer flies and popping bugs. Their top water strikes are stunning in ferocity and they make spectacular jumps and strong runs. The larger they get, the more fiercely they fight. Considering they can grow to more than 30 pounds, be prepared for a battle when you hook into a speckled peacock!

An excellent food fish, the flesh of the speckled peacock is firm in texture and varies from white to a creamy white in color

Catfish, white Ameiurus catus

Linnaeus, 1758

ICTALURIDAE FAMILY


The white catfish is native to the U.S. Atlantic coastal states from about Palm Beach, Florida, to New York. It has been introduced outside this range southward into Texas and on the west coast.

It is the smallest of the four catfish in the U.S.A. and Mexico that have forked tails. In all other species the tail is either rounded, squarish, or slightly emarginate. Despite the names white catfish and blue catfish, any of the species with a forked tail maybe light silvery blue with a white belly, though in the white catfish there is sometimes a sharper contrast between the bluish back and the white of the belly. It usually has numerous dark spots on the body, except in older individuals and spawning males.

The surest way to identify the white catfish is to count the rays in the anal fin. The white catfish has 19 23 rays and the fin is rounded along the bottom edge. The channel catfish has 24 30 rays and also has a rounded anal fin. The blue catfish has a longer and much straighter edged anal fin with 30 36 rays.

Like all the catfish listed here the white catfish is a delicious food fish. Its flesh is firm and white. It is easily caught on live bait, less nocturnal than some species, and an excellent survivor. It has therefore become a very popular anglers' fish and a popular stock fish in private lakes and ponds

Salmon, coho Oncorhynchus kisutch

Walbaum, 1792

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called silver salmon, silver sides, hooknose, sea trout, blueback

Endemic to the Pacific Ocean and the rivers flowing into it from northern Japan to the Anadyr River, Russia, and from Point Hope, Alaska south to Monterey Bay, California. Infrequently, it has been reported at sea as far south as Baja California. It has been transplanted into the Great Lakes and into freshwater lakes in Alaska and along the U.S. Pacific coast as well as into Maine, Maryland, and Louisiana in the east, Alberta in Canada, Argentina, and Chile.

This is a silvery fish when at sea and has small black spots on the back, upper sides, base of the dorsal fin, and upper lobe of the tail. It can be distinguished from both the chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and the steelhead, or rainbow trout, O. mykiss, by the fact that it only has spots on the upper half of the tail while the latter two have spots over the entire tail. Also, it generally has pale or white gums and a black mouth (some Great Lakes specimens may have gray or black gums) while the chinook always has black gums and a black mouth.

Spawning females change very little. Males tend to turn somewhat darker on the back and a duller on the sides. During the spawning run they may also exhibit a red stripe along the sides, like rainbow trout. The males develop a kype, both the upper and lower jaw becoming extended and “hooked” toward each other so that it becomes impossible to close its mouth. Like all Pacific salmon, it does not feed once it enters freshwater on the spawning run. Although most coho do not seem to migrate extensively, tagged individuals have been recovered up to 1,200 mi (1.931 km) from the tagging site. Some remain in freshwater lakes and streams, never venturing to sea. These specimens do not spawn and are replenished only by successive runs of migratory coho. An estimated 85 percent of native Pacific coho return to spawn in the same stream where they began their life.

It is a very important commercial species and is marketed fresh, fresh frozen, mild cured, smoked, and canned. The usual commercial catch weighs about 6 12 lb (2 5 kg) with 20 lb (9 kg) not uncommon. They can reach weights of at least 33 lb (15 kg)

Marlin, striped Tetrapturus audax

Philippi, 1887

ISTIOPHORIDAE FAMILY
Also called striper, red marlin (Japan).

Found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, the striped marlin is pelagic and seasonally migratory, moving toward the equator during the cold season and away again during the warm season.

The most distinguishing characteristic is its high, pointed first dorsal fin, which normally equals or exceeds the greatest body depth. Even in the largest specimens this fin is at least equal to 90 percent of the body depth. Like the dorsal fin, the anal and pectoral fins are pointed. They are also flat and movable and can easily be folded flush against the sides, even after death. The sides are very compressed. The lateral line is straight, single and clearly visible. The back is steely blue fading to bluish silver on the upper flanks and white below the lateral line. There are a number of iridescent blue spots on the fins and pale blue or lavender vertical stripes on the sides. These may or may not be prominent, but they are normally more prominent than those of other marlins, and they persist after death, which is not always true on other marlins.

It is highly predatory, feeding extensively on pilchards, anchovies, mackerel, sauries, flying fish, squid, and whatever is abundant. It is well known for its fighting ability and has the reputation of spending more time in the air than in the water after it is hooked. In addition to long runs and tail walks, it will “greyhound” across the surface, making up to a dozen or more long, graceful leaps. It can be caught fairly close to shore, and lacking the size and weight of the blue marlin or the black marlin, it is more acrobatically inclined. Fishing methods include trolling whole fish, strip baits, or lures; also live bait fishing

Tuna, bluefin Thunnus thynnus

Linnaeus, 1758

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called Atlantic bluefin tuna, tunny fish, horse mackerel

Occurs in subtropical and temperate waters of the north Pacific Ocean, the North Atlantic Ocean, and in the Mediterranean and Black seas.

It is a pelagic, schooling, highly migratory species. The smallest fish form the largest schools and vice versa. Its extensive migrations of all fish, appear to be tied to water temperature, spawning habits, and the seasonal movements of fishes on which the bluefin feeds. The giants of the species make the longest migrations.

This is the largest tuna and one of the largest true bony fish. It can be distinguished from almost all others by its rather short pectoral fins which extend only as far back as the eleventh or twelfth spine in the first dorsal fin. There are 12-14 spines in the first dorsal fin and 13-15 rays in the second. The anal fin has 11-15 rays. It has the highest gill raker count of any species of Thunnus with 34-43 on the first arch. The ventral surface of the liver is striated and the middle lobe is usually the largest. The anal fin and the finlets are dusky yellow edged with black. The lateral keel is black in adults.

Its diet consists of squid, eels and crustaceans as well as pelagic schooling fish such as mackerel, flying fish, herring, whiting, and mullet. During spawning which occurs in the summer or spring, a giant female may shed 25 million or more eggs. Bluefins grow rapidly and may be 2 ft (0.6 m) in length and weigh 9 lb (4 kg) by the end of their first year. By age 14 they may be over 8 ft (2 m) long and weigh 700 lb (318 kg).

Fishing methods include still fishing or trolling with live or dead bait such as mackerel, herring, mullet, or squid; and trolling with artificial lures including spoons, plugs, or feathers.

Bluefin tuna are supreme in their size, strength and speed, and are a very important game fish. They are also extremely important commercially in many parts of the worl

Trout, golden Oncorhynchus aguabonita

Jordan, 1893

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called Kern River trout

Native only to the upper Kern River basin in Tulare and Kern Counties, California, the golden trout occurs in clear, cool waters at elevations higher than 6,890 ft (2100 m). Despite its limited distribution, there are two recognized subspecies of golden trout: Oncorhynchus aguabonita aguabonita, which is confined to the south fork of the Kern River and Golden Trout Creek, and Oncorhynchus aguabonita gilberti, which is confined to the Main Kern and Little Kern Rivers. An area of warm water where the South Fork joins the Kern apparently serves as a natural barrier that keeps the two subspecies apart. Golden trout have been introduced to other areas, including the states of Washington, Idaho and Wyoming, which have self sustaining populations. It is believed that most of these populations have hybridized with the cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki). According to Schreck & Behnke (1971. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 28:987 98), most trouts in the Kern River basin are also hybrids of recent origin and the only pure populations of golden trout are those limited to the headwater areas.

Due to its coloration and markings it is considered one of the most beautiful of all freshwater game fishes. It is the only species of Salmonidae in which the parr marks on the sides typically remain prominent throughout life rather than disappearing at an early age. A red streak similar to that of a rainbow trout runs along the sides through the ten or so parr marks. The tail is golden yellow (as is most of the body) and is covered with large black spots that radiate outward toward the edge as in the rainbow, cutthroat, and some other closely related species. Usually the posterior part of the body is heavily spotted. The forward part of the body may have spots above the lateral line on the back and top of the head, but not always. The upper fins are golden yellow and heavily spotted. The lower fins are orangish or reddish with no spots. The dorsal fin and the ventral and anal fins have white tips (in some specimens) that are often separated from the rest of the fin by a broad black line. The sides of the head and “throat” are a blend of rosy red and golden yellow. When this species is brought down from its high altitude habitat and propagated at low altitudes, it loses its brilliant colors and becomes steely blue.

It is considered to be a highly desirable and almost mystical species. Fly fishermen and other anglers have to match their lures to the types of food items available at the high altitudes where the golden trout occurs. Caddisflies and midges are most effective, through goldens have been caught with spoons, spinners, worms, salmon eggs, small crustaceans, and various small insects. The flesh is slightly oilier than most trouts, but firm, ifnely textured, and delicious but does not keep for extended periods

Jack, almaco Seriola rivoliana

CARANGIDAE FAMILY
Also called bonito, horse eye bonito, medregal, songoro, hirenaga-kanpachi

This species occurs in most of the world’s tropical waters, entering temperate waters in some areas. The distribution in the eastern Atlantic is not well established and it is absent from the Red Sea and French Polynesia. Almaco jacks inhabit the outer reef slopes and offshore banks, where they may form small schools. They are rarely caught in inshore waters. Young almaco jacks are often seen far offshore around floating objects.

To tell the greater amberjack from the almaco jack, look at the second dorsal fin-lobe. In the almaco jack, the front few rays of the second dorsal fin are about twice as long or longer than the longest dorsal spines. In the greater amberjack, the second dorsal fin-lobe is not much higher than the front, spiny part of the fin. The body color may be almost uniformly brownish or olivaceus with the sides and belly lighter, sometimes with brassy or lavender reflections. There is often a dark nucal bar through the eye to the upper back and sometimes an amber stripe extends from the eye along the body.

Almaco jacks are not generally fished for selectively but are incidental catches while targeting other pelagic fishes. The almaco jack is very palatable and regarded as very good to eat by some. But, it may cause ciguatera poisoning, particularly in coral reef areas. (See also amberjack, greater).

Nembwe Serranochromis robustus

Günther 1864

CICHLIDAE FAMILY
Also yellow-belly bream, robbie, tsungwa, sungwa, olyfkurper, nsuku

This species is found in Southern Africa’s lake Malawi and the Shire River, but has also been introduced to other waters including the upper Ruo River in Malawi and Swaziland and Natal.

The body of the nembwe is heavy and robust; the mouth large with large well spaced conical teeth. The pectoral fins are relatively short, 19-23% of the standard length. The coloration is olive to bright green, with a deep olive band along midbody. Fins are olive with yellow orange margins, anal fin of males with orange egg-spots.

The nembwe is Africa's answer to the American bass. This predatory bream resembles the bass in appearance and behavior. It uses structure from which to launch an ambush, or hunt down its prey of fish like the Mbuna and sand-dwelling invertebrates. Larger specimens prefer deep main channels and permanent lagoons, whereas smaller fishes occur mainly in lagoons and secondary channels. Nembwe breed in the summer, nesting along vegetated fringes of mainstreams.

Like a bass, the nembwe will sometimes take to the air when hooked, shaking its head in an attempt to rid itself of the lure. The "robbie" will take almost any presentation used in bass fishing. Rapala type plugs and spoons, jig heads rigged with plastic baits and spinnerbaits are all excellent baits for this outstanding fish.

The nembew is a major angling target and is an important component of commercial and subsistence fisheries in Southern Afric

Drum, red Sciaenops ocellatus

Linnaeus, 1766

SCIAENIDAE FAMILY
Also called channel bass, redfish, spot tail bass, red bass, red horse, school drum, puppy drum

Found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. The red rum is a schooling species that occurs inshore over sandy or muddy bottoms. It inhabits both salt and brackish waters and can tolerate fresh water. It is found in inlets and channels, and smaller specimens may be found in shallow estuaries.

The red drum can be distinguished from the black drum (Pogonias cromis) by its lack of chin barbels and more elongated body. The body has coppery red overtones on a silvery gray background. The most obvious and characteristic marking on the red drum is a large black spot about the size of the eye on either side of the caudal peduncle, just before the tail fin. Sometimes there are two spots on each side, and occasionally there may be similar spots on the body.

It is a strong, hard fighter when hooked. Fishing methods include drifting or still fishing on the bottom, jigging or casting from boats or from the shore, and slow trolling. In some areas red drum may be stalked on the flats like bonefish. Baits and lures include crabs, shrimp, clams, jigs, plugs, spoons, strip bait, and streamer flies. Large red drum can be taken from just above the breaker line on an incoming tide or near channels, inlets and shell beds.

Very large specimens are often called “bull reds”, although they are usually females. Red drum up to about 10 15 lb (5 7 kg) are very fine eating. Larger specimen may be coarse, stringy and unpalatable

Catfish, flathead Pylodictis olivaris

Rafinesque, 1818

ICTALURIDAE FAMILY


Native to the large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins from southern North Dakota, south into northern Mexico, and east as far as Lake Erie's southeast coast and the western most tip of the Florida panhandle. It occurs broadly over this entire areaand has now been widely introduced outside its native range.

The flathead catfish is very distinctive in appearance and not easily confused with any other species. It is one of the largest catfish in its family, second in size only to the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). It has a squarish, rather than forked, tail. Its body is long and its head is wide and distinctly flattened. The eyes accentuate the flatness of the head with their distinctly flat looking, oval shape and the lower jaw further accentuates it by protruding beyond the upper jaw. In general coloration, the flathead catfish is mottled with varying shades of brown and yellow.

This popular food fish has an excellent flavor. It frequents deep sluggish pools with hard bottoms in large rivers. It seems to have a distinct preference for fish, but it is omnivorous and will eat most anything that suits its fancy. Its large size makes it especially popular with anglers

Bass, striped (landlocked) Morone saxatilis

Walbaum, 1792

MORONIDAE FAMILY
Also called striper, rock, rockfish, squid hound, greenhead

The striped bass, or “rockfish” as it is known in North and South Carolina, occurs from the St. Lawrence River to northern Florida on the Atlantic coast of the United States; off Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico; and along the U.S. Pacific coast from Washington to California. Striped bass were unknown on the Pacific coast until they were introduced there in 1879 and 1882. On the east coast they have been well known to saltwater anglers and one of the most important food fishes since at least the early 1600's.

In saltwater, the striped bass is anadromous and migratory. Some migrate from North Carolina, Virginia, or Maryland to more northern climates in the summer and return when the summer season is over. Others remain non migratory within estuarine river systems such as the St. Lawrence, the Santee Cooper, or the Savannah. To most freshwater anglers, this very important game fish is relatively new. The species moves far upstream in rivers during spawning migrations. It has a native range (in freshwater) from the St. Lawrence River, N.Y., south to St. John's River, Florida, and also from the Suwannee River in Florida, to Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. In some of these waters populations have become landlocked due to artificial impoundments that blocked their return to the sea. In recent years, striped bass have been introduced into freshwater systems in most of the states.

The striped bass' closest freshwater relatives are the white bass (Morone chrysops), the yellow bass (M. mississippiensis), and the white “perch” (M. americana). The striped bass is easily recognized by the 7 or 8 prominent black stripes that run along the scale rows on each side of its long, sleek, silvery body. One stripe runs along the lateral line, and the remainder are about equally divided above and below it. The first dorsal fin has 8 10 spines and the second, 10 13 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines followed by 7 13 soft rays. The dorsal fins are completely separated. The striped bass is longer and sleeker and has a larger head than its close and similar looking relative, the white bass. The striped and white basses have been crossed to create a hybrid known as the whiterock or sunshine (in Florida) bass. Striped bass can be distinguished from hybrids by the regularity of stripes while the hybrid usually has interrupted or broken stripes.

A voracious and opportunistic predator, the striped bass will consume all types of fishes. A wide variety of fishing methods are successfully employed, including trolling, jigging, bait fishing, surf casting, fly fishing, and spinning. Baits and lures include mullet, squid, eels, crabs, clams, bloodworms, plugs, spoons, flies, and casting lures.

Crappie, black Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Lesueur, 1829

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called calico bass, papermouth, bachelor perch

Native to most of the eastern half of the U.S.A., the black crappie has stocked throughout been so extensively transplanted that today it almost entirely blankets the U.S. and reaches up into southern Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec in Canada. It is only noticeably scarce in a swathe of the midwest stretching from western Texas up through Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and western Montana, and even these states have black crappies either along their borders or in limited internal areas.

Crappies are members of the sunfish and black bass family, and though they show a definite family resemblance, they are distinctive enouth that they shouldn’t be confused with any other speciesl. The black crappie and the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) are most often confused with each other. Despite their common names, both species are the same color (dark olive or black dorsally with silvery sides) and both have spots on the sides. However, the pattern of the spotting is distinctly different. In the black crappie the spots are more or less irregular and scattered while in the white crappie the spots may be more vague and are clearly arranged into 7 9 vertical bars on the sides. Another distinction; the black crappie has 7 8 dorsal spines while the white crappie has only 6, the same number as in its anal fin. In body shape the black crappie is somewhat deeper than the white crappie.

The black crappie inhabits large ponds and shallow areas of lakes, with sandy or muddy bottoms and usually in areas of abundant vegetation. It requires a deeper, clearer, somewhat cooler habitat than does the white crappie. It is an abundant species and is important both commercially and as a sport fish. Black crappies are easily caught, often as fast as the hook can be rebaited

Muskellunge, tiger Esox masquinongy x Esox lucius

ESOCIDAE FAMILY


The tiger musky is a hybrid produced when a male northern pike (Esox lucius) fertilizes the eggs spawned by a female muskellunge (E. masquinongy). Consequently, it is conceivable that one might find a tiger musky anywhere that both muskellunge and northern pike occur together, though it is not a common fish anywhere. They may also be found in areas where they have been introduced, but such populations are naturally self limiting since the tiger musky is sterile and cannot reproduce.

It should not be confused with the true muskellunge which has long been called tiger musky in Minnesota. In most respects, notably in size and appearance, the hybrid is very much like the true muskellunge and anglers universally hold it in equal, and often higher, esteem than the true musky because of its rarity, its beautiful markings and its game nature. It differs from the true muskellunge most noticeably in the markings on its sides. The true musky may have either bars or spots on the sides or no markings at all, but it is rarely as strikingly beautiful as the tiger musky with its wavering tiger stripes.

For many years the tiger musky was believed to be a separate species until scientists succeeded in crossing a northern pike with a muskellunge to discover its true origin. Today it is one of the most prized freshwater catches that an angler can make. Most tiger muskies are either released or mounted, but some are also eaten

Shark, great hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran

SPHYRNIDAE FAMILY
Also called smooth or common hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead

The hammerheads occur worldwide, but some species have more restricted ranges. The most widely distributed species is probably the smooth, or common, hammerhead, Sphyrna zygaena. They inhabit shallow waters along the coasts, bays and harbors where the water is calm and the bottom sandy.

The eyes are located at the ends of two thin protrusions, resembling a hammer. The caudal peduncle lacks keels. Of the nine species of hammerhead sharks, the largest is the great hammerhead, S. mokarran, which may reach a length of 20 ft (6 m). Its head is T shaped, being almost straight along the front edge and notched in the center. Another large species, the smooth hammerhead, S. zygaena, grows to 14 ft (4 m). The front edge of its head is rounded and unnotched in the center. The scalloped hammerhead, S. lewini, grows to 10 ft (3 m). The front edge of its head is rounded and notched. Of the lesser known hammerheads, there is S. couardi, a large West African species that resembles S. lewini, and the strange looking S. blochii, whose head lobes often measure 50 percent of the body length and are swept back like the wings of an airplane. The remainder of the species, S. tiburo, S. media, S. corona and S. tudes, known as the bonnetheads, are only 3 6 ft (1 2 m) long and have very short lobed, shovel shaped heads.

It swings its broad, flat head back and forth over the bottom in a scanning pattern, in the same way as one uses a metal detector. Tiny organs called the ampullae of Lorenzini, located in the head, function as electro-

-receptors that enable the shark to detect food buried beneath the sand. Stingray are a favorite food. According to scientist Perry Gilbert one large hammerhead was found to have 96 stingray barbs imbedded in its jaw, mouth and head.

Hammerheads fight hard making long surface and midwater runs and thrashing about causing a great deal of commotion. Fishing methods include slow trolling, drifting or still fishing with chum and baits that are oily or bloody. Mackerel, jack, squid and other baits, as well as artificial lures, may also work on occasion.

They are viviparous and giving birth to as many as 30 or 40 young at a time. Some are known to be man eaters. In fact, the first fatal shark attack recorded in American waters was by a hammerhead off Long Island, New York in 1815. The meat of the hammerhead is of good quality if fresh and properly prepared. The fins are used in soup in some areas.

Seabass, blackfin Lateolabrax latus

Katayama, 1957

LATEOLABRACIDAE FAMILY


The blackfin seabass is endemic to the north eastern Pacific from the Shizuoka and Chiba Prefectures in central Japan southward to the Nagasaki Prefecture and the East China Sea. In southern waters of Japan, it is caught more often than its close relative, the Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicus. Large fish are often caught in the area of shallow rocks and reefs and, in southern Japan even in the brackish waters of river mouths.

It is similar in shape to the striped bass, Morone saxatilis, of U.S. waters. It has an elongate, compressed, silvery body, a large mouth of which the lower jaw projects beyond the upper jaw, and a slightly forked tail. It lacks the stripes of Morone saxatilis. The blackfin seabass differs from the Japanese seabass in having a deeper body, a row of scales on the lower jaw, and a more silvery body color. In addition, the meristic counts of dorsal and anal fin elements differ. The blackfin seabass has 12 dorsal fin spines with 15 16 soft rays and 3 anal fin spines with 9 10 soft rays. The Japanese seabass has 12 15 dorsal fin spines with 12 14 soft rays and 3 anal fin spines with 7 9 soft rays. The lateral line pore count is 71 76 for the blackfin seabass.

The blackfin seabass can be taken by surfcasting with flashy, minnow shaped artificial lures or metal jigs, or by fly fishing with feather streamers as well as by bait fishing with small live baits. It is highly regarded both as a food fish and as a game fish

Skipjack, black Euthynnus lineatus

Kishinouye, 1920

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called little tuna, false albacore, spotted tuna, mackerel tuna, skipjack

They inhabit tropical and warm temperate waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean from California to Peru, and rarely the central Pacific.

The dorsal fin has 13 15 spines and is high anteriorly. This distinguishes it from the bonito, Sarda, which have a relatively long and low first dorsal fin. The anal fin, which has 11 13 rays is similar to the second dorsal fin in size and shape. The body lacks scales, except on the anterior corselet and along the lateral line. This is the only species of Euthynnus with 37, instead of the usual 39, vertebrae. Each jaw has 20 40 small, conical teeth. Bonitos have fewer and larger conical teeth. Mackerels have flat, triangular teeth.

It is distinguished from similar species by the 4 or 5 broad, straight, black stripes which run horizontally along the back and by the dark spots between the pectoral and ventral fins. In live specimens, stripes may be visible on the venter as well as on the back, which has frequently led to confusion with the skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis. The stripes on the belly rarely persist long after death in the black skipjack, however, whereas they remain prominent in the skipjack tuna.

It is pelagic, schooling and migratory, feeding predominantly on small surface fishes, squids, and crustaceans. It can be hooked by trolling or casting small whole baits or strip baits, or small lures such as spoons, plugs, jigs, and feathers. It has been said that the black skipjack will strike any lure trolled at speeds up to 8 or 10 miles per hour (12 16 km).

It is rated as a good food fish by some and disdained by others. Its flesh is dark red and the taste is strong

Bass, black sea Centropristis striata

Linnaeus, 1758

SERRANIDAE FAMILY
Also called sea bass, black bass, rockbass, common sea bass, humpback (large males)

Found in the western North Atlantic Ocean along the United States east coast from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico; most common from about Long Island, New York to South Carolina. The black sea bass is a bottom species found around wrecks, reefs, piers, breakwaters, and over beds of shells, coral, rock, etc.

The tail or caudal fin is rounded, and the top ray of the tail fin is typically very elongated in larger specimens. The dorsal fin is marked by several oblique, white spots arranged into stripes, and there is a large dark spot on the last dorsal spine. Large males of the species are sometimes known as “humpbacks” because of the visible rise or hump just behind their heads.

The best fishing is in depths of 6 to 20 fathoms from May to June and from November to December, though they can be caught all year round. When hooked on light tackle, the sea bass fights hard all the way to the surface. The action is fast and vigorous, and in spite of its small size, it is very much a game fish. Most are caught from anchored or drifting boats by bottom fishing with baits or by jigging with small metal jigs. Some are caught from docks, piers, or the shore. Baits include fishes, shrimp, squid, crabs, worms, clams and mackerel jigs.

Black sea bass are hermaphrodites; most begin their lives as females and change to males. The white, firm flesh is excellent eating

Catfish, blue Ictalurus furcatus

Lesueur, 1840

ICTALURIDAE FAMILY
Also known as bagre azul

This native species of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River basin systems frequents deep areas of large rivers, swift chutes, and pools with swift currents. It is confined to the major rivers of the aforementioned systems, extending north into South Dakota and southern Minnesota, and south into Mexico and northern Guatemala. It has been introduced into Virginia.

This is the largest catfish of the family Ictaluridae, reported to grow to 120 lb (54 kg). The only larger catfish is the wels (Silurus glanis), a member of the Siluridae family, which is found in central and eastern Europe and southern Russia, and may grow to 440 lb (200 kg). The blue catfish, the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and the white catfish (Ameiurus catus) are the only three catfishes in the U.S.A. that have distinctly forked tails, setting them apart from the bullheads and the flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), which have squarish or slightly emarginate tails. The blue catfish can be distinguished from the channel and white catfish by its noticeably longer anal fin, which has a more even depth and a straighter edge than in the other two species. There are 30 36 rays in the fin, versus 24 30 rays in the channel catfish and 19 23 rays in the white catfish. Internally, the blue catfish can be identified by the fact that it has three chambers in the swim bladder, whereas the channel catfish has two chambers. All three forked tail species may be almost uniformly pale blue or silvery in color, though white catfish may show a more distinct difference between the bluish back and white belly. Channel catfish frequently have spots.

The blue catfish is considered an excellent food and game fish. It prefers clean, swift moving waters where it feeds primarily on fish and crayfish. It is a strong, well toned fish with a fine, delicate flavor

Queenfish, doublespotted Scomberoides lysan

Lacepede, 1802 and / Scomberoides lysan Forsskal, 1775

CARANGIDAE FAMILY
Also called leatherskin, spotted leatherskin, giant dart, white fish, skinny fish

The talang and the doublespotted queenfish range widely over the Indo Pacific. The talang has been verified from the Gulf of Thailand, Okinawa, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the east coast of Africa. The doublespotted has a similar range and also occurs in the Hawaiian Islands, but is unconfirmed in the Gulf of Thailand.

The queenfish has an oblong to elliptical profile with a very short head and a strongly compressed body (from whence the name “skinny fish”. Its lateral line is straight except for a weak, slightly wavy arch over the pectoral fins. The scales are partially embedded. The tail is deeply forked as is typical of carangids and the second dorsal and anal fins are prominent anterior lobes. The first dorsal fin consists of 6 7 short spines with very little visible membrane. The spines are depressible into a groove on the back. The second dorsal fin has one spine and 19 21 soft rays.

The mouth is large on the talang extending well back beyond the eyes. The forehead is slightly rounded (convex) or may have a small bump over the eyes, and the fin lobes are twice as high as in the doublespotted. It has a single row of 5 8 round spots above the lateral line, with the first two possibly touching or intersecting the lateral line.

The doublespotted has a double row of round spots, 5 8 above the lateral line and a parallel row of 5 8 below the line. The mouth extends back only to the back of the eye or scarcely beyond it and the forehead is slightly but noticeably indented.

Both fish are generally dusky green to bluish above, fading to gray, silvery or white below. The high second dorsal and anal fin lobes of the talang are uniformly pigmented (dusky or light) from the body to the tip, whereas in the part of the lobes that extends above the finlets in the doublespotted (the distal half) is distinctly and abruptly darker.

They generally frequent in shore lagoons, reefs, and off shore islands. They may enter estuaries, but the talang does not tolerate low salinity well, nor does it like turbid water. Queenfish are daytime feeders and prefer small pelagic fish, squids, and other fast moving prey. Occasionally they may also feed on crustaceans.

The queenfish is extremely popular as a sport fish and is an excellent fighter on light tackle. Small live baits and trolled lures are preferred. Many anglers say that the coarse flesh is rather tasteless and is better smoked, while others that it is quite good when very fresh. In any event, the leathery skin is best removed before cooking and one should avoid touching the spines of the dorsal and anal fins, as they are poisonous and can inflict very painful wounds

Spadefish, Atlantic Chaetodipterus faber

Broussonet, 1782

EPHIPPIDAE FAMILY
Also called paguala, enxada, sabaleta or disque portuguais

The spadefish is a wide-ranging species in the western Atlantic, know from New England, USA, to Brazil and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. It is abundant in shallow coastal waters in the warm-temperate parts of its range. Adult spadefish often occur in very large schools of up to 500 individuals in association with submerged objects such as wrecks. Juvenile spadefish are common in estuaries and often found in very shallow water swimming at an angle resembling dead leaves.

The Atlantic spadefish is a disk-shaped, silvery fish with about four or five black, irregular bands on the sides that fade with age. The spiny and soft parts of the dorsal fin are nearly separated and the soft front lobe of soft dorsal and anal fins are prolonged into filaments.

Spadefish are strong fighters, but tough to hook at times because of their small mouths and finicky nature. Chumming with frozen chopped clams in a weighted wire basket is an excellent way to draw spadefish to a boat. Once to the boat, the real secret of catching spadefish is selecting a hook with small enough dimensions to enable them to be hooked. Clam strips, which resemble one of their favorite food, jelly fish tentacles, make effective bait, but they can also be taken in the chum-line by presenting a fly. Experienced Spadefish anglers have discovered that, unlike many fish, they tend to bite best on a slack tide.

They are well suited for grilling with their firm white flesh and delicate slightly unusual taste