Bass, striped 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

Bass, rock Ambloplites rupestris

Rafinesque, 1817

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called black perch, goggle eye, red eye, rock sunfish

Native to the northeastern U.S.A. and southeastern Canada, from Ontario and Quebec southward through the Great Lakes region as far as Tennessee an possibly Alabama. Rock bass have also been introduced into other states including some western states. They prefer small, cool, weedy lakes and streams and the outer edges of larger lakes, always over rocky bottoms (hence the name “rock” bass) where no silt is present, turbidity is low and cover is extensive. They are scrappy fighters but tire quickly. The flesh is firm, white, and makes excellent eating.

This is a large and robust sunfish that looks like a cross between a bluegill and one of the black basses. Its body is less compressed than most sunfishes of the genus Lepomis, including the bluegill, and longer in profile. It has been known to reach 3 lb (1.36 kg) but the more common size is about 8 oz (226 g). There is a black spot at the edge of the gill cover. The mouth is larger and more “basslike” than in most small sunfishes, the upper jaw reaching beyond the beginning of the eye, but not to the back of the eye. The two dorsal fins are clearly connected. The eyes are red.

The rock bass is frequently confused with the warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), it can be distinguished by the number of spines in front of the soft rayed anal fin; 3 spines in the warmouth, but 6 in the rock bass. Also, the warmouth has teeth on the tongue unlike the rock bas

Mackerel, Pacific sierra Scomberomorus sierra

Jordan, Starks 1895

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called carite sierra, serrucho, sierra

Occurs in the eastern central Pacific: from La Jolla in southern California, USA south to the Galapagos Islands and Paita, Peru and has been reported from Antofagasta, Chile.

The Pacific sierra is most easily distinguished by pigment and color pattern. It is silver-blue above and silvery white on the lower sides and belly with a series of yellow-brown spots on the sides. The anterior half of the first spiny part of the dorsal fin is jet black, in contrast to the lighter remainder of the fin.

A schooling species, the Pacific sierra is fast moving, voracious predator feeding on small fishes, especially anchovies and herrings. It occurs near the surface of coastal waters over the continental shelf and is believed to spawn close to the coast over most of its range.

The Pacific sierra is the most abundant game fish along the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Central America. Anglers employ a variety of natural baits and artificial lures with wire leaders to guard against their sharp teeth. (See also mackerel, cero and Spanish)

Shark, blue Prionace glauca

Linnaeus, 1758

CARCHARHINIDAE FAMILY
Also called blue whaler, great blue shark, bluedog

Inhabits cool temperate seas, often near the surface, but usually submerged to depths of 110 to 170 fathoms in the tropics or in areas with warm water currents, 50°-68°F (10°- 20°C). It is usually replaced as the common large pelagic shark by the white tip in areas of warm surface water. It is present in the Mediterranean, absent from the Baltic and Red Seas, and extremely rare in the Gulf of Mexico.

It is recognizable by its brilliant blue color. It is dark cobalt or indigo blue dorsally, lightening to bright blue on the flanks and white on the belly. It is unique among sharks in that the larger teeth of the upper jaw are “saber shaped”, with one margin broadly convex, the other concave. The teeth are serrated along the edges. Those in the lower jaw are narrower and very sharp. Caudal keels and spiracles are absent.

They are pelagic, migratory and travel alone as well as in packs. Fishes, sea birds, squid and other sharks are prey to the blue shark. While not considered one of the most dangerous sharks, they have been implicated in unprovoked attacks on both humans and boats.

Fishing methods include chumming with live or dead baits or trolling. Baits include squid, eels, mackerel, herring and other live, whole fishes or cut baits.

The blue shark is viviparous, giving birth to 50 or more young at a time. It does not rate high as table fare

Dentex Dentex dentex

Linnaeus, 1758

SPARIDAE FAMILY
Also called dentice, denton, or dente)

Occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Biscay to West Africa north off Cape Blanc and Madeira. Occasionally, dentex are found as far north as the British Isles and as far south as Senegal.

While inhabiting hard bottoms (rock or rubble) down to 200 m (656 ft), dentex are more commonly found between 15 and 50 m (50 and 165 ft). Adults are generally solitary, the young gregarious. They are active predatory fish that feed on fish, mollusks, and cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, and squid). In the summer they approach the shore, but in winter migrate to deeper water.

The dentex have oval shaped rather deep bodies with a massive, smoothly rounded head in adults. Very large individuals have a profile with a slight frontal hump. Both jaws have well-developed canine like teeth plus several rows of smaller teeth of similar shape. The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 11 or 12 soft rays, the spines increasing in length from the first to the fourth or fifth then subequal. The lateral line has 62 68 scales. Color is variable but young are dentex are grayish, spotted with black on the back and upper sides, becoming pinkish with sexual maturity. Older individuals are bluish gray with spots becoming more or less diffuse with age. Some have a yellow tinge behind the mouth and on the gill cover.

They can be distinguished from other similar species by the dark spots, which are always present and the several rows of canine like teeth. Other species have more than one type of teeth or incisor like teeth.

Fishing methods include trolling with dead bait, live bait like mackerel, garfish, boga and squid or artificials such as rapalas in 10 to 50 m (33 to 165 ft). Bottom fishing in deeper waters with both live and dead bait such as anchovies, sardines, octopus or squid is also productive. They are very clever fish, needing small hooks and light leaders. A very popular game fish and esteemed table fish, they reportedly reach a weight of around 15 kg (33 lb)

Pollock Pollachius virens

Linnaeus, 1758

GADIDAE FAMILY
Also called coalfish, Boston bluefish, green cod, blisterback, saithe, coley

Found on both sides of the Atlantic, from Greenland and Labrador to Virginia on the west side, and on the east, from Iceland to northern Spain, including the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel, and western Baltic and North Sea.

It is said to be the most active member of the cod family Gadidae. Though it occurs in shallower waters than either the cod or haddock, it is generally a deep or midwater fish occurring in depths of up to 100 fathoms. It will sometimes chase bait fish to the surface and smaller individuals are often seen milling about at the surface in large, tightly packed schools. In the western Atlantic south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, off the U.S. east coast, pollock can be taken from depths of 25 fathoms to as little as 4 fathoms. North of Cape Cod where most of the fish are taken, they have even been caught by surf fishermen.

They can be distinguished from other members of the cod family by three features. Its lower jaw projects beyond the upper jaw, its tail is forked, and its lateral line is quite straight, not arching above the pectoral fins. Young pollock have cod like barbels on the chin, but these are small and usually disappear with age. The back varies from olive green to greenish brown. The flanks are a lighter yellowish green or gray.

Its diet consists of smaller pelagic fishes, sand eels and various crustaceans. Fishing methods include bait fishing or jigging with shrimp, herring, squid, clams, worms, or jigs, trolling or casting with spoons, tube lures, spinners, plugs, or flies. It makes strong, powerful runs and occasionally leaps and shakes. The flesh is of good quality and is commercially important.

Taimen Hucho taimen

Pallas, 1773

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called taimen salmon

There are four species of the genus Hucho, which include the species Hucho hucho, the huchen and Hucho hucho taimen, the taimen. While the two subspecies of Hucho hucho cannot be separated on the basis of morphology or meristics, their geographical separation allows us to distinguish between the two.

The huchen is restricted to the Danube River drainage and the taimen to the Ural Siberian Amur drainages, most of which flow into the Arctic Ocean. Ranges of the huchen and taimen are disjunct (do not overlap) and are separated by the Eastern European Flatland.

The taimen inhabits large rivers with fast currents, often to their estuaries. It also occurs in lakes. In spring, it ascends the rivers and enters shallow creeks, spawning in May.

They probably attain the largest sizes of any salmonid fish. A report exists of a 231 lb specimen taken in a commercial net in 1943, but the largest authenticated record is 123 lb (55.8 kg), slightly less than a commercially caught 126 lb (57.2 kg) Chinook salmon.

Physically, they resemble a northern pike. The body is round and elongated and the head flattened with an enormous terminal mouth. Like huchen, taimen are specked with dark spots over the entire body, predominating on the upper portions, including the head and fins. The tail and anal fins are a crimson red. During the spawning period, almost all the body becomes copper red.

Taimen fishing is similar to that of huchen, flies, plugs, large spoons, and spinners are all highly effective, and of coarse, any live bait should be productive. The voracious taimen reportedly will strike at anything resembling wounded prey. Just as large prey are sought by large fish, lure size should match the size of fish sought by the angler, monster fish require monster baits!

While huchen populations have diminished rapidly with over exploitation and habitat deterioration, taimen are just emerging as a popular sportfish. Hopefully, with due care from concerned anglers, the taimen population will not suffer the same fate

Sailfish, Pacific Istiophorus platypterus

Shaw, Nodder 1791

ISTIOPHORIDAE FAMILY
Also called spindlebeack, bayonetfish

Inhabits tropical and subtropical waters near land masses, usually in depths over 6 fathoms, but occasionally caught in lesser depths and from ocean piers. Pelagic and migratory, sailfish usually travel alone or in small groups. They appear to feed mostly in midwater along the edges of reefs or current eddies.

Its outstanding feature is the long, high first dorsal which is slate or cobalt blue with a scattering of black spots. The second dorsal fin is very small. The bill is longer than that of the spearfish, usually a little more than twice the length of the elongated lower jaw. The vent is just forward of the first anal fin. The sides often have pale, bluish gray vertical bars or rows of spots.

Its fighting ability and spectacular aerial acrobatics endear the sailfish to the saltwater angler, but it tires quickly and is considered a light tackle species. Fishing methods include trolling with strip baits, plures, feathers or spoons, as well as live bait fishing and kite fishing. The most action is found where sailfish are located on or near the surface where they feed.

Recent acoustical tagging and tracking experiments suggest that this species is quite hardy and that survival of released specimens is good

Catfish, redtail (pirarara) Phractocephalus hemioliopterus

Bloch, Schneider, 1801

PIMELODIDAE FAMILY
Also called bigoril, pirarara, guacamayo, pez torre, peixe-arara

The pirarara or redtail catfish is one of the most colorful of the large catfishes found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. In its natural habitat, the redtail catfish is found in larger rivers, streams and lakes. During high water, it ventures into the flooded forests.

The pirarara is a very distinctive species. The brownish back, yellow sides and red-orange dorsal and caudal fins make this catfish very recognizable. Three pairs of barbels are present, one pair on the upper and two pairs on the lower jaw.

The redtail catfish is omnivorous in its feeding habits with a diet that can include fish, crabs and fruits. This species, which grows in excess of 4 ft (121 cm) and 100 lb (45 kg) is considered to be the one of the best fighting of the catfishes with strong and determined runs. Pirarara are most often caught with natural baits and pose a challenge to anglers using artificial lures or flies.

It is used as a food fish throughout its range and is said to be excellent, if somewhat dark meat

Grouper, goliath Epinephelus itajara

Lichtenstein, 1822

SERRANIDAE FAMILY
Also called spotted jewfish, southern jewfish, junefish, Florida jewfish, jewfish

Known to occur in the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. It is also known in the eastern Pacific from Costa Rica to Peru. This species is usually found inside of the 12 fathom bottom contour, though it may occur in deeper waters. It favors areas near rocky shores and islands, reefs, ledges, dock and bridge pilings, and wrecks, where caves and holes offer refuge.

The goliath grouper is the largest of the grouper in the western Atlantic, possibly reaching 8 ft (2.5 m) and a weight of 1000 lb (455 kg). The body, including the head and fins, is mottled with dark brown blotches and blackish spots. As the fish grows older, the body becomes darker and the spots and blotches become more numerous and less distinct

It can be easily distinguished from the giant sea bass, Stereolepis gigas, because it has more soft rays (15 16) than spines (11) in the dorsal fin. The giant sea bass also has 11 spines, but only 10 soft rays. The goliath grouper can also be distinguished from the giant sea bass by its rounded tail fin, large, rounded pectoral fins, and different color pattern.

Goliath grouper feed primarily on crustaceans, but also on fishes and even an occasional turtle, which is inhaled into the goliath grouper’s enormous mouth. It is a very sluggish fish and an opportunistic feeder. Some very large specimens show an extraordinary degree of curiosity and will leave their caves to swim up to a diver. There are reliable reports of goliath grouper or giant sea bass interfering with diving operations and occasionally even attempting to swallow divers.

Despite poor fighting ability, its great size and weight and its habit of swimming into a hole or between rocks when hooked, make it difficult to land. They can be taken on live or dead bait fished on the bottom from boats, bridges, or shore. Slow trolling also works on occasion. Baits include crabs, spiny lobster, fishes and cut bait.

The goliath grouper is an excellent food fish at any size. But, it is now totally protected from harvest in Florida waters

Grayling Thymallus thymallus

Linnaeus, 1758

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called European grayling, kharius, asch, stalling, temolo

Occurs in northern Europe from England and France to the Ural Mountains in northwest Russia in temperature ranges of 18.0-24.0 °C. The grayling is essentially a river fish and prefers clear, well-oxygenated water in the upper reaches of rivers with sand or gravel bottom. It also occurs in lakes, especially in mountain regions and rarely in brackish water (Baltic).

Like its North American counterpart, it is easily recognized by its distinctive sail like dorsal fin, which is followed by a small adipose fin that identifies this fish as a salmonid. A stikingly colored fish; the dorsal surface is steel blue shading to silvery-green on the sides and silver ventrally. The sides of the body have stripes of violet and in breeding season, the colors are heightened with the dorsal fin having an orange-red margin.

Grayling feed mainly on bottom-living insects larvae, especially sedentary caddis worms and the larvae and pupae of midges. It is considered a good game –fish with fly and spinner in Europe. The grayling is a good food fish and highly esteemed in parts of Europe, but is best prepared and eaten fresh as its special flavor is lost a few hours after death. The name thymallus refers to the thyme-like scent of the fish

Marlin, white Tetrapturus albidus

Poey, 1861

ISTIOPHORIDAE FAMILY
Also called spikefish

Occurs throughout the Atlantic Ocean from latitudes 35°S to 45°N, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the western Mediterranean Sea. Stray specimens have been recorded outside this range. Though this pelagic and migratory species is usually found in deep blue tropical and warm temperate waters, it frequently comes in close to shore where waters aren't much deeper than 8 fathoms.

Its most characteristic feature is the rounded, rather than pointed, tips of the pectoral fins, first dorsal fin and first anal fin. Some specimens apparently vary from the norm in that the dorsal and pectoral fins may be more pointed; the anal fin is more consistently rounded than the others. The first dorsal fin resembles that of the striped marlin (T. audax) in that it is usually as high or higher than the greatest body depth. It differs from that of the striped marlin, or any other marlin, in that both margins are convex. The flat, movable pectoral fins can easily be folded flush against the sides of the body. The lateral line is visible and straight.

In overall appearance the white marlin is generally lighter in color and tends to show more green than do other marlins. Several light blue or lavender vertical bars may show on the flanks, especially when the fish is feeding or leaping (see striped marlin coloration). Some specimens have a scattering of black or purple spots on the first dorsal and anal fins.

A top rated light tackle game fish, the white marlin can be caught by trolling with small whole or strip baits as well as with small spoons, feathers or any of a variety of other artificial lures. Live bait fishing with squid, ballyhoo, mullet, bonefish, mackerel, anchovies, herring and other fish is also successful. It feeds on whatever species are locally abundant

Shark, thresher Alopias spp

Bonnaterre, 1788; / Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935; / Alopias superciliosus Lowe, 1840; / Alopias profundus Nakamura, 1935; 

ALOPIIDAE FAMILY
Also called longtail thresher, pelagic thresher, Atlantic bigeye thresher, Pacific bigeye thresher, fox shark, sea fox, swiveltail, swingletail, thrasher shark.

The pelagic thresher shark, A. pelagicus, and the Pacific bigeye thresher, A. profundus, are found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic bigeye thresher, A. superciliosus, occurs in the Atlantic. The longtail thresher, A. vulpinus, is found worldwide in warm to cool temperate zones. They are generally pelagic though they do come in close to shore. The longtail and pelagic threshers occur near the surface and the bigeye threshers inhabit deep waters, their large eyes undoubtedly aiding them in seeing at greater depths.

They are easily recognized because the upper lobe of the tail is usually as long as the rest of the body (appreciably longer in A. vulpinus). The caudal peduncle lacks keels, the teeth are small and pointed with broad bases, and the skin is smoother than that of most other sharks. The longtail thresher and the pelagic thresher have moderate sized eyes (1.2 1.5 percent of the total body length). The first dorsal fin is located almost squarely in the middle of the back, well forward of the origin of the pelvic fins. The Atlantic and Pacific bigeye threshers have much larger eyes (2.8 4.1 percent of the total body length) and the rear margin of the dorsal fin is located at least as far back as the origin of the pelvic fins. The belly and lower flanks of thresher sharks may be mottled.

Threshers are a solitary species but it is not uncommon for them to congregate when large schools of bait fish are available and occasionally hunt in pairs. Their diet is known to include mackerel, menhaden, garfish, needlefish and bluefish. Typically a thresher will slap or thrash the water with its tail to herd bait fish into a mass then use its tail to stun or injure individual fish before swallowing them. An angler may see his bait slapped out of the water then swallowed as it settles back in again, which is why threshers are often hooked in the tail. They are very active fighters when hooked and the longtail thresher has been known to leap clear of the water. Fishing methods include trolling in marlin fashion or deep trolling or drifting, depending on the species to be caught. Whole baits, strip baits, live yellowtail, snapper, or mullet may be used as well as feathers, or other baits or lures which are generally used for marlin or tuna.

They are ovoviviparous and give birth to 2 to 4 large babies, about 5 ft (1.5 m) long. There is no record of a thresher shark ever attacking a person, though there are cases of threshers attacking boats. The flesh is of good quality but is more often used as bait or chum to catch other sharks than as food

Shark, tope Galeorhinus galeus

Linnaeus, 1758

TRIAKIDAE FAMILY
Also called toper, school shark, soupfin, oil shark, vitamin shark

Topes are moderately large, wide ranging, active, schooling sharks found in coastal continental waters of the Eastern Pacific, Western South Atlantic, Eastern Atlantic, Southwestern Indian Ocean and Western South Pacific.

They are characterized by a rather long, pointed snout and oval eye and distinctive teeth, which have a sharp oblique cusp and 3 5 coarse basal serrations. The second dorsal fin is nearly over the anal fin and about the same size. The terminal lobe of the caudal fin is extremely large, about half the length of the upper lobe. Tope are ovoviviparous, giving birth to 6 to 52 (average 35) young per litter.

This is a popular catch of anglers, commonly taken by rod and reel particularly in the British Isles, off South Africa, California, and southern Australia.

Primarily an opportunistic predator feeding mostly on moderate sized bony fishes, and in some areas crabs and squid. It has a strong preference for very fresh fish or squid bait over slightly stale or even fresh frozen bait. It will fight actively when hooked.

Its meat is eaten fresh, fresh frozen, or dried salted, its fins are used for sharkfin soup. Tope were once intensively fished for the exceptionally high concentrations of Vitamin A found in the liver

Corbina, California Menticirrhus undulatus

Girard 1854

SCIAENIDAE FAMILY
Also called California kingcroaker, corvina, California whiting, surffish, sucker

This eastern Pacific species is found from Point Conception in California to Peru. It occurs along sandy shores and in bays, usually in sandy surfs of exposed outer coast. They are usually found in small groups with larger fish becoming more solitary. Unlike most drums and croakers, the California corbina has no air bladder and is unable to make croaking sounds.

The California corbina body is elongate and more slender than other croakers. The head is long and the mouth small with a blunt snout projecting beyond the mouth. The color is gray to steel blue with a silvery luster on the back paling to white below. Sometimes wavy diagonal lines are on the sides. The California corbina and the yellowfin croaker are the only two coastal croakers in California water to have a single short, stiff chin barbel. The California corbina usually has only one weak spine at the front of the anal fin, while the yellowfin croaker has two strong spines.

California corbina are caught throughout the year although the best fishing is from July to October. They are very wary and difficult to hook as many an avid surf fisherman can affirm. Sand crabs are the preferred bait, though some anglers swear by blood worms, mussels, clams, pileworms, and ghost shrimp

Seatrout, spotted Cynoscion nebulosus

Cuvier, 1830

SCIAENIDAE FAMILY
Also called spotted weakfish, spotted squeteague, speckled trout, gator trout, winter trout, salmon trout, black trout

Occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean from New York to the Gulf of Mexico, from Virginia southward, particularly off the coasts of North Carolina and Texas. An in shore, schooling species, it usually inhabits the shallow areas of bays and estuaries. They range as far north as Long Island in late spring.

Two large, recurvate canine teeth in the front of the upper jaw stand out noticeably. There are round black spots on the back and upper flanks and on the tail and second dorsal fin.

This bottom dwelling, predatory fish feeds at any level. It may be taken by chumming from a drifting or anchored boat, by trolling, jigging, surfcasting or fly-fishing. Shrimp is the most popular and effective bait. Whenever shrimp are abundant, spotted seatrout feed on them almost exclusively. It may be caught in salt or brackish water and shows a preference for shallow waters of estuaries. They rate highly as a food fish, but tend to spoil rapidly so should be eaten soon after capture

Shad, hickory Alosa mediocris

Mitchill, 1814

CLUPEIDAE FAMILY
Also called bonejack, fall herring, hickory jack

Hickory shad are an anadromous species that are found along the western Atlantic coast, from Maine to the St. John’s River in Florida. They can also be found in tidal rivers and tributaries, particularly during late spring and early summer. Common food items include squid, small fish, small crabs and other crustaceans, and even fish eggs.

Don’t let the species name fool you; there is nothing mediocre about the sporting qualities of this small herring. Hickory shad, like their larger cousins the American shad (Alosa sapidissima), are spirited fighters on light tackle, and can be fooled by small jigs and flies

Dolly Varden Salvelinus malma

Walbaum, 1792

SALMONIDAE FAMILY


Known to occur from the Sea of Japan through the Kuril Islands to Kamchatka, through the Aleutian Islands and around Alaska to the Yukon and Northwest Territories (Canada) in the north and the northwestern United States in the south. Like the Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), it is an anadromous fish (migrates to the sea and back), though some populations are landlocked.

The complex of chars composed of Arctic char (S. alpinus), Dolly Varden (S. malma) and bull trout (S. confluentus) is a closely related group and difficult to distinguish from external characteristics. Due to past misidentification of species in various locales and lack of scientific knowledge, much of the available literature on these species is either misleading or incorrect, and there is still some disagreement among scientists on their distribution.

The Dolly Varden and bull trout can generally be distinguished by their size and habitat. The Dolly Varden is usually a coastal species whereas the larger bull trout is found inland in large, cold rivers and lakes draining high, mountainous areas. A much greater problem arises in trying to separate the Dolly Varden from the Arctic char. Much published information on the distribution of these species is incorrect and often presupposed that only one species or the other occurred in areas or rivers where it is now believed both species may occur. The two are outwardly almost identical in every respect and to complicate matters, significant variations occurs in both species. The spots on the Dolly Varden are usually smaller than the pupil of the eye, while on the Arctic char they are larger than the pupil. When returning from the sea both species are silvery and lack spots. Arctic char on the average have more gill rakers on the first left gill arch (25 30 as opposed to 21 22 in the Dolly Varden) and more pyloric caeca (40 45 as opposed to about 30 in the Dolly Varden), but fish with intermediate counts (i.e., 23 or 24 gill rakers and 35 pyloric caeca) are not at all uncommon in either species.

Fish that don't clearly “fit the pattern” will almost certainly have to be examined in a laboratory to determine their identity. Since the problem of identification was only very recently even diagnosed, there are at present very few scientists who are qualified to make a positive identification on an unusual specimen. IGFA recommends that all potential record chars that cannot be positively identified by external characteristics be frozen in case further study is needed

Gar, longnose Lepisosteus osseus

Linnaeus, 1758

LEPISOSTEIDAE FAMILY


The longnose gar is the most common and widely distributed of all the gars. It is found throughout the eastern half of the U.S.A. through the Mississippi River system and other drainages in larger streams and brackish water coastal inlets. Its range extends at least as far south as Florida's Lake Okeechobee, the Gulf states, and the Rio Grande between Texas and Mexico; and as far north as Minnesota, the Great Lakes, and Quebec, Canada. It extends west to the border between Minnesota and south Dakota, and probably as far as Montana in the north and Pecos River in New Mexico to the south. It is found both east and west of the Appalachians, with large concentrations along the Atlantic coast.

This gar is generally distinguished from other gars by its longer, more slender body, and especially by its longer, narrower beak (18 20 times as long as it is wide at its narrowest point). The nostrils are located in a small, bulbous fleshy growth at the very tip of the upper jaw. The bony, diamond shaped ganoid scales of the gars overlap to form a protective armor on the body that has been known to deflect arrows.

Although edible, it is not popular, and the eggs are poisonous, causing severe illness in humans and sometimes death in smaller animals and birds. Only fish seem to be able to consume them without harm

Dorado Salminus brasiliensis

Cuvier, 1816 syn. S. maxillosus

CHARACIDAE FAMILY


This South American fish is found in the rivers of the São Francisco River system of Brazil, the Paraguay and Uruguay River systems, the Magdalena River system of Colombia and the Paran River of Argentina. It also occurs in the Rio de la Plata and has been introduced into the Paralba and Doce rivers of Brazil. It apparently does not occur in the Amazon and Orinoco basins as once believed. This misconception, widespread in literature, appears to be due to confusion with another species that occurs in the Amazon and Orinoco and which is called dorado in that region, but is actually the piraba.

The name dorado is Spanish for “golden.” The same name is used in Spanish language areas of the Caribbean for the dolphin (Coryphaena hippurus). Both species are predominantly golden in color with blue, orange, and yellow overtones or highlights. There is a shock of blue in the center of the tail. In general body shape the dorado greatly resembles a salmon with a golden body and a somewhat scalloped tail. The position and shape of the fins is also the same as in the salmons. There is an adipose fin after the dorsal fin, and an axillary process. The head looks like a bluefish's head, machine tooled in gold with blue highlights. The lower jaw is stout and strong, and there is a double row of teeth, the outer row consisting of strong canines.

Unlike the salmons, it does not die after spawning and never ventures beyond the river mouth into the open sea. It is a good food fish and an excellent sport fish. It is powerful and huge, and its mouth has been described as a “steel trap”

Sunfish, redbreast Lepomis auritus

Linnaeus, 1758

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called yellowbelly sunfish, sun perch, redbreast bream, longear sunfish (not to be confused with Lepomis megalotis which goes by that name)

It is native to the east coast of North America from New Brunswick in Canada south along the Atlantic slope, east of the Appalachians, to about central Florida, but only as far west in the Florida panhandle as the Apalachicola River. It has been introduced into nearby states, and into lakes in northern Italy.

The belly, or ventral surface, ranges in color from yellow to orange red or crimson red and the “ear lobe” (a lobe or flat on the gill cover) is usually long and narrow. In adult males of this species the lobe is actually longer than in the longear sunfish (L. megalotis). The two species are readily distinguished by the fact that the gill cover lobe of the redbreast sunfish is completely black (or blue black) all the way to the tip and is narrower than the eyes. The lobe of the longear sunfish is much wider and is bordered by a thin margin of pale red or yellow around the black. The pectoral fins of both species are short and roundish as compared to the longer, pointed pectoral fins of redear sunfish (L. microlophus), and the opercular flaps are softer and more flexible than the rigid flaps of species such as the pumpkinseed sunfish (L. gibbosus).

This is an excellent panfish and a scrappy fighter. It can be caught with baits or lures and it can even be taken at night

Grouper, gag Mycteroperca microlepis

Goode, Bean 1879

SERRANIDAE FAMILY
Also called black grouper, charcoal belly, cuna aguají, badèche baillou, badejo-da-areia

The distribution of gag grouper extends in the western Atlantic from North Carolina, USA (with juveniles occurring as far north as Massachusetts) to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; it is rare in Bermuda and absent from the Caribbean and Bahamas. Gags are the most common grouper on rocky ledges in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Juvenile gags reside in estuaries and seagrass beds while adults are usually found offshore on hard substrate in water 60 – 250 feet deep (rarely to 152 m) and occasionally inshore on rocky or grassy bottom. Adults are either solitary or found in groups of 5 to 50 individuals.

The coloration is extremely variable but generally brownish gray overall with a pattern of dark, worm-like or kiss-shaped markings along the sides. Gags can be distinguished from black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, that often occur in the same habitat by the distinctive color pattern and the shape of the preopercle. The gag has a noticeably notched preopercle (the middle bone of the gill cover) with a distinct lobed appearance while black grouper have an evenly rounded preopercle with no definite lobe below.

Bottom fishing is the most effective method of catching gag. Anglers commonly use depth recorders to locate rocky outcrops and irregular bottom where gags congregate, anchoring when a likely area is located. Wrecks and oil rigs in shallow shelf waters of the Gulf also attract many gags. They are an excellent light-tackle target for those fishing relatively shallow waters and the white flaky flesh of gags makes it excellent eating.

Spawning aggregations of gags in the Middle Grounds of the Gulf of Mexico from January through March. Young gags are predominantly female, transforming into males, as they grow larger

Bass, shoal Micropterus cataractae

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY


The shoal bass occurs in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint river drainages of Alabama, Florida and Georgia. It has been introduced and is now established in the Altamaha River drainages in central Georgia. It inhabits shoal areas of rivers and large creeks throughout its range.

Over the past 40 years, the shoal bass has been referred to as the Redeye Bass, M. coosae, as an undescribed subspecies or variety of the Redeye Bass, or as an undescribed species. In a paper written by James D. Williams and George H. Burgess, A New Species of Bass, Micropterus cataractae, the confusion was finally clarified. After examining the records for the “Redeye Bass” at IGFA, it was determined that all of the existing records are Shoal Bass, Micropterus cataractae. All of the Redeye Bass records have been transferred to the new designation of Shoal Bass.

The Shoal Bass coloration is olive green to dark olive to almost black, a dusky to black blotch is present on the posterior portion of the opercle and another one right before the tail. Three diagonal dark lines are present laterally on the head. The iris is typically bright red.

Although the Shoal Bass has been most often confused with the Redeye Bass, it is most similar to the Spotted Bass, M. punctulatus. It differs from the Spotted Bass by the absence of teeth on its tongue. The Shoal Bass also has more lateral lines scales (usually 67-81, not 59 to 70), more rows of scales above (usually 8 to 10, not 6 to 9) and below (usually 15 to 21, not 12 to 15) the lateral line and more caudal peduncle scales than the Spotted Bass. The color pattern of adult Shoal Bass is characterized by the presence of 10 to 15 midlateral and 6 to 8 supralateral dark vertical bars along the sides, these bars, which are also present in juveniles, easily distinguish the Shoal Bass from Spotted Bass. The Redeye Bass and has an oval to rectangular patch of teeth on the tongue, fewer lateral line scales (usually 62-73, not 67-81) and fewer scale rows above (usually 7 to 9, not 8-10) and below (usually 13 to 16, not 15-21) the lateral line.

The American Fisheries Society Endangered Species Committee lists the Shoal Bass as a species of Special Concern. With the continuing loss of habitat favored by the Shoal Bass, this species will undoubtedly continue to decline

Bonefish Albula spp

Linnaeus, 1758

ALBULIDAE FAMILY
Also called banana fish, phantom, silver ghost, ladyfish, grubber

Occurs worldwide in shallow tropical and subtropical waters around flats and intertidal areas.

The dorsal fin consists of 17 19 soft rays. The anal fin has 8 9 soft rays, the ventral fins have 9, and the pectoral fins have 15 17. There are 65 73 scales along the lateral line—none on the head. The sides and belly of the fish are bright silver. Parts of the fins and the snout may show a yellowish or dusky color. Bonefish are basically schooling fish. The smaller ones can be seen in large schools on the flats. The larger ones tend to form smaller schools or groups. They feed on crabs, shrimp, clams, sea worms, sea urchins, and small fish that inhabit the sandy flats and intertidal areas. They are often seen rooting in the sand, their tails breaking the surface of the shallow water; an action commonly known as “trailing”. At other times they will plough the bottom stirring up silt and marl, known as “mudding”. They are powerful and run very fast and hard when hooked. Fishing methods include plug, fly or spin casting from a skiff or while wading on tidal flats, using shrimp, crabs or similar baits. Most bonefish are caught in depths from 6 inches to 10 ft (15 cm to 3 m).

This species begins life looking more like an eel than a fish and undergoes a leptocephalus larval stage during which it grow to a length of about 2 ½ in (6.3 cm); then during a period of metamorphosis the eel like larva shrinks to half its former size. As it shrinks, fins begin to appear, and after 10 12 days the eel has become a 1.5 in (3.81 cm) miniature bonefish, and begins to grow again. Tarpon and ladyfish undergo similar stages of development. As one might expect from the name, the bonefish has an abundance of bones (some of which are quite tiny), for which reason this fish is less than popular as table fare

Jack, horse-eye Caranx latus

Agassiz, 1831

CARANGIDAE FAMILY
Also called goggle eye

Occurs throughout the Atlantic Ocean; New Jersey on the U.S. coast to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including Bermuda, the Bahamas and West Indies in the western Atlantic and off the coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic. In the Pacific and Indian oceans it is replaced by its close relative, the bigeye trevally, Caranx sexfasciatus.

It occurs in small schools around off shore islands and reefs, deep bluewater holes, channels adjacent to flats, and in shore along sandy beaches. It is also known in brackish water and, occasionally, in freshwater coastal rivers and streams.

The body is compressed, though the profile of the head is not as vertical or as blunt as in large crevalle jacks, Caranx hippos. The eyes are characteristically of the horse-eye jack are large and have thick, adipose eyelids. There is a small black spot on the operculum, but there is no spot on the pectoral fin as in the crevalle jack. The straight portion of the lateral line has 32 39 scutes.

It feeds primarily on fish, but also on shrimp, crabs, and other invertebrates. It is a good light tackle game fish that can be taken with live baits such as mullet, pinfish, or other small fishes, as well as with plugs, jigs, spoons and flies. Lures should be retrieved at a fast pace without slowing or stopping.

Like other jacks, it is edible but not highly esteemed as a food fish. The flesh is dark and relatively tasteless, though this can be improved by cutting off the tail and bleeding the fish immediately after capture. It is one of many tropical species which have been implicated in ciguatera poisonings (see barracuda, great)

Bowfin Amia calva

Linnaeus, 1766

AMIIDAE FAMILY
Also called mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, griddle, grinnel, cypress trout

Inhabits the eastern U.S.A. from the Mississippi River basin eastward to the St. Lawrence River in the north, and southward from Minnesota to the Gulf Coast; from eastern Texas to and including all of Florida. The bowfin is easily recognized by its flattened head; long, stout body; large mouth full of small, sharp teeth; long dorsal fin that extends along most of the back; and rounded tail. In the males there is a spot surrounded by an orange yellow halo on the upper area of the caudal peduncle. In the females the spot either is not ocellated or is lacking entirely.

This is considered a living fossil as the sole surviving representative of the Amiiformes. It is able to gulp air from the surface directly into the air bladder, which is connected to the throat and can be used as a lung. It can also withstand high temperatures, for which reasons it survives in waters unsuited to most other fishes. It is considered poor as a food fish, but an excellent fighter, better than some highly rated game fish

Snapper, Papuan black Lutjanus goldiei

Macleay, 1882

LUTJANIDAE FAMILY
Also called Niugini bass, Papuan black bass, pargo de Papua, vivaneau de Papua, ikan merah

The Papuan black snapper is known only from southern Papua New Guinea from the Port Moresby district to the Fly River. Popularly know as Niugini bass and Papuan black bass, this species is actually a member of the snapper family. It is rated as one of the worlds toughest yet least-known freshwater fishes. The fish inhabits large, snag infested jungle streams and tributaries and may occur in estuaries.

The stocky Papuan black snapper resembles a cross between a mangrove (gray) snapper and a largemouth bass. The large scaled body is silvery to steely gray or black. There are two distinct color phases with the entire body blackish or with a series of 6 or 7 broad grayish bars on the sides. It has two large canine teeth in the upper jaw and smaller teeth on the lower jaw.

Casting with saltwater-quality surface plugs or shallow and medium running plugs is the most common method of fishing for this species. Papuan black bass are also caught trolling and a few have discovered that fly-fishing is possible. The major challenge is stopping an individual before it dives for cover. Locals use short, powerful rods, reels with top-quality drags and heavy leaders to cope with logs, rocks and other obstructions encountered in bass habitat.

This jungle brawler is a popular sport fish, forming the basis of a safari-angling industry

Shark, porbeagle Lamna nasus

Bonnaterre, 1788

LAMNIDAE FAMILY
Also called mackerel shark, salmon shark, herring shark, bonito shark, blue dog, beaumaris shark

It inhabits cool temperate waters of the North Atlantic from South Carolina to Newfoundland, and from North Africa to Norway and Iceland. It also inhabits the Mediterranean Sea and the cool temperate waters of the southern Pacific. A pelagic, oceanic shark, it has nevertheless been found near shore on occasions.

It is in same family as the white and the mako sharks and they resemble each other. The snout is perfectly conical and ends in a point, and there is a large, very prominent flattened keel on either side of the caudal peduncle. It is easily distinguished from other sharks by its teeth, which are smooth and have little cusps on each side of the base. It has a small secondary keel than the white. The smaller keel is located beneath the main keel but farther back on the tail. The first dorsal fin is farther forward than on the mako or white sharks. Its anal fin is directly beneath the second dorsal fin, whereas the mako's anal fin originates near the midpoint of the second dorsal fin. It has a distinguishing white patch on the free trailing base portion of the first dorsal fin.

It follows migrations of mackerels, herring, cod, bonitos, etc., which is why it is often called mackerel shark, bonito shark, herring shark, etc.

The porbeagle is reported to be an excellent sport fish and may leap when hooked. The flesh is of good quality and texture and is said to taste somewhat like swordfish. Fishing methods include trolling or bait fishing while chumming. Baits include mackerel, herring, bonito, squid and other fishes.

They inhabit colder waters, which may account for the fact that there are no recorded instances of it ever attacking humans. The porbeagle is warm blooded and ovoviviparous, having up to four pups measuring 19 ½ in (50 cm) long at birth

Drum, black Pogonias cromis

Linnaeus, 1766

SCIAENIDAE FAMILY
Also called drum, sea drum, common drum

Found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to northern Mexico, including southern Florida, then from southern Brazil to Argentina. An inshore, schooling fish, the black drum is known to inhabit areas near breakwaters, jetties, bridge and pier pilings, clam and oyster beds, channels, estuaries, bays, high marsh areas, and the shorelines over sandy bottoms.

Drums are members of the croaker family (Sciaenidae) which are comprised of 260 species including the weakfish, spotted seatrout, white seabass, Atlantic croaker, and California kingfish. The black drum is distinguished from similar species by the unusually large spine in the anal fin and numerous barbels on the chin. There are large pavement like teeth in the throat that are used to crush shellfish. Unlike the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), the black drum has no dark spot on the tail base. Juveniles have 4 or 5 broad, dark vertical bars on the body. They feed on mollusks and crustaceans that they locate in the sand with their sensitive chin barbels.

Drums use their air bladder to create a sound similar to a drum beating. This “drumming” is largely associated with the breeding season and probably assists in locating and attracting members of the opposite sex. The drumming of the males is particularly loud while the sound of the females is softer.

The black drum is sluggish and does not strike quickly or with force, but when hooked, it puts up an exceedingly tough fight. Fishing methods include bottom fishing, casting from boats or shore, or slow trolling. Baits and lures include shrimp, clams, crabs, squid, cut fish, metal jigs, spoons, and weighted bucktails. Small drums of about 10 15 lb (5 7 kg) are said to be good eating, though they are often infested with parasites

Trevally, bigeye Caranx sexfasciatus

Quoy, Gaimard, 1825

CARANGIDAE FAMILY
Also called turrum, ulua, previously known by the misnomers giant or great trevally

Broadly found in tropical waters throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans from east Africa to western America. It is found in rocky areas near shore as well as at outside reef drop offs on the edge of deep tide running channels, and in the deeper waters beyond the reef. This species is replaced in the Atlantic Ocean by its close relative the horse eye jack (Caranx latus).

The maximum verified size is 30 in (757 mm) fork length. The breast is completely scaled. The body is not very deep (more elongated) with the head curved to a slightly pointed snout. The eyes are relatively large. The lateral line is strongly curved anteriorly. The straight portion consists of 28 37 scutes. The first dorsal fin has 8 spines (rarely 7). The second has 1 spine and 19 22 soft rays and the anal fin has 3 spines (2 are detached) and 15 17 soft rays. There is a total of 20 25 gill rakers on the first branchial arch. There is a pair of lateral keels on either side of the caudal peduncle. Body color ranges from silvery to dusky or dark, especially along the back. The dorsal fin lobe is dark with a white tip and the scutes are usually black. There is a dark spot on the gill cover, but none on the pectoral fins. Juveniles are golden yellow and have 4 7 broad, dark vertical bars on the body.

Adults feed most actively at night, especially very dark nights. Diet includes eels and crustaceans, blennies (pao'o), damselfish (mamo), and other fishes. Fishing methods include trolling baits and lures, angling with live or cut baits while drifting or at anchor, and surf fishing. Trolled lure or bait should be moved slowly among other bait fish or along the outside drop offs of reefs or rocky ledges. Mullet, herring, sauri, garfish, anchovy, squid, or strip baits are used as well as Konaheads, knuckleheads, bulletheads, feathers, plastic jigs, plastic fish and squid, drone spoons and rope lures.

The flesh is pinkish and is rated fair in taste and quality. In some areas of the Pacific, it is highly esteemed as food. It is also frequently used for strip baits, cut baits, or as chum

Trout, tiger Salmo trutta x Salvelinus fontinalis

SALMONIDAE FAMILY


This is a cross between a female brown trout (Salmo trutta) and a male brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). It is primarily an artificial cross, though it has been known to occur in nature. Because of genetic differences between the two genera (the brook trout is actually a char), mortality of the eggs and alevin is high. About 65% of hatchery specimens do not survive and the loss is higher in the wild where the majority of normal eggs and alevin perish due to predation. Hybrid specimens that survive are unable to reproduce. They have primarily been produced only on a small scale in private hatcheries for stocking in European club waters and in a few limited areas on an experimental basis. Theoretically, they might occur anywhere that brook trout and brown trout inhabit the same waters.

The wavy tiger like markings on the sides of this hybrid give it a unique beauty. It does not substantially resemble either of the parent species or any other salmonid. The overall color of the tiger trout is brownish on the back, lightening on the sides and belly to a golden yellow with a brown or orange wash. The back and sides both above and below the lateral line display large prominent sunshine yellow vermiculations, or worm like markings, that are much more vivid and extensive than those of the brook trout. The dorsal fin is also brownish with yellow vermiculations. Large brown spots may be present on the adipose fin. The tail is dusky with brown or black markings and yellow visible beneath the dusky color. The rear margin of the tail has a thin black edge. The lower fins are brownish to orange with char like white leading edges. The anterior part of the belly may be white.

Overall, it is stockier and more aggressive than either parent and thus more easily caught. It is a surface feeder and is highly regarded by anglers in waters where it is stocked

Drum, freshwater Aplodinotus grunniens

Rafinesque, 1819

SCIAENIDAE FAMILY


The freshwater drum is the only North American freshwater representative of the Sciaenidae family which includes the croakers, corbinas, drums, seatrout, etc. It also has the greatest north/south range of any North American freshwater fish, occurring over much of the U.S. between the Rockies and the Appalachians southward through eastern Mexico to Guatemala's Rio Usumacinta system and northward through Manitoba, Canada, all the way to the Hudson Bay. It also occurs in some areas of Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

Though it is a fairly distinctive fish, its deep body, humped back, blunt snout and subterminal mouth have led some to confuse it with the carp and the buffalos. It can be easily distinguished by its two dorsal fins (only one in the carp and buffalos) and its rounded, rather than forked tail. Also, the first dorsal fin of the freshwater drum is composed of 8 9 spines, whereas the carp has only one spine at the beginning of its single soft rayed dorsal fin and the buffalos have no spines at all.

The freshwater drum is a bottom feeder; its diet consists of mollusks, insects, and fish. Huge otoliths, “ear bones”, excavated from Indian village sites indicate that at one time they have grown as large as 200 lb (90 kg).

Although a strong fighter, it is not generally highly regarded as either a sport or a food fish. The flesh is white with large, coarse flakes and its quality has been compared to that of the carp

Buffalo, bigmouth Ictiobus cyprinellus

Valenciennes, 1844

CATOSTOMIDAE FAMILY


Found in the Lake Erie, Ohio, and Mississippi drainages from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, the bigmouth buffalo has also been introduced into Arizona and California.

It is the largest member of the sucker family, growing to over 70 lb (31 kg). In general body shape it very much resembles the carp. The dorsal fin is similar, beginning with a tall lobe near the middle of the back and continuing to a lower portion nearly to the tail. The carp has a single serrated spine at the beginning of the dorsal fin, while the bigmouth buffalo has no spines in any of the fins. The toothless mouth is relatively large and wide, and slants downward when closed. The upper lip begins almost on a level with the eyes. In comparison, the mouth of the smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), is smaller, almost horizontal when closed, subterminal and protracts downward in typical sucker fashion. The body of the bigmouth buffalo is coppery olive brown to slate blue above, becoming lighter toward the belly, which is white.

About 90 percent of the bigmouth buffalo's diet consists of small crustaceans. It also feeds on algae and other plant matter, but very seldom eats insects, insect larvae, or other fish. Consequently, the species does not form a large sport fishery since it will not take the normal types of baits

Cod, Atlantic Gadus morhua

Linnaeus, 1758

GADIDAE FAMILY
Also called codfish, codling

Occurs in subarctic and cool temperate waters of the North Atlantic from Greenland to North Carolina, including the Hudson Strait, and from Novaya Zemlya, in the former U.S.S.R., to the northern reaches of the Bay of Biscay, including the Baltic and North seas and Iceland. The cod can be found in depths of up to 200 fathoms and prefers rough bottoms composed of sand and rock or of shells. It is migratory though the extent of its migration varies among stocks.

The cod can be distinguished from other members of its family by the large barbel on the chin and the arch in the lateral line. Like many other members of its family they have three separate dorsal fins and two separate anal fins, none of which contain any spines. The back and sides are highly variable in color (ranging from brownish or sandy to gray, yellow, reddish, greenish, or any combination), and mottled with numerous lighter spots. The belly is white, the lateral line is pale, and all the fins are dark.

Largely omnivorous, they feed on herring, sprat, capelin, sand eels, Irish moss, etc. Many unusual items have also been found in the stomachs of adult cod, including an oil can, a rubber doll, finger rings, clothing, and some very rare deep sea shells that were previously unknown to science.

Most cod taken by anglers are caught by bait fishing on the bottom from a drifting or anchored boat, but many are taken by jigging and deep trolling as well. Cod have large mouths, so hook size may vary, but the bait need not be large—a good sized ocean clam will do for almost any size cod. Other good baits include strip baits of squid, fish, crabs, sand eels, and capelin. Artificial lures such as chrome diamond jigs, spinners, bucktails, spoons, and shiny metal squids may also be used.

The largest cod known to have been caught weighed 211 lb 8 oz (95.90 kg) and was taken in May of 1895 off the coast of Massachusetts. It was over 6 ft (1.8 m) long. Possibly due to relentless fishing pressure, the average size of cod today is only 4 15 lb (2 7 kg) and specimens weighing over 60 lb (27 kg) are unusual. It would be difficult to overstate the cod's value as a food fish

Bass, giant sea Stereolepis gigas

Ayres, 1859

POLYPRIONIDAE FAMILY
Also called California black sea bass, California jewfish

Occurs in tropical and subtropical inshore waters of the northeast Pacific off the California and Mexican coasts. Also known on the Asiatic Pacific coast. Despite its great size, the giant sea bass is an inhabitant of near shore waters, particularly over hard, rocky bottoms and around kelp beds. The young can be found in depths of about 6 to 15 fathoms. Larger specimens can generally be found in depths of 15 to 25 fathoms. Diet includes crustaceans and a wide variety of fishes.

The first dorsal fin is very low and consists of 11 spines. The second dorsal fin is higher than the first, and consists of 10 soft rays. The presence of more dorsal spines than soft rays distinguishes the giant sea bass from any similar related species, including the jewfish, Epinephelus itajara. All the fins are black (though the ventral fins appear lighter because the white membrane shows clearly between the black spines). Juveniles are brick red with conspicuous dark spots and a few pale yellow blotches on the body; the fins are black or transparent.

Fishing methods are live or dead bait fishing from an anchored or drifting boat with large natural baits. Fishing is best in the 10 to 25 fathom range.

The giant sea bass and its close relative the jewfish are the giants of the bass family

Marlin, blue (Pacific) Makaira nigricans

Lacepede, 1802

ISTIOPHORIDAE FAMILY


This pelagic and migratory species occurs in tropical and warm temperate oceanic waters. In the Atlantic Ocean it is found from 45°N to 35°S, and in the Pacific Ocean from 48°N to 48°S. It is less abundant in the eastern portions of both oceans. In the Indian Ocean it occurs around Ceylon, Mauritius, and off the east coast of Africa. In the northern Gulf of Mexico its movements seem to be associated with the so called Loop Current, an extension of the Caribbean Current. Seasonal concentrations occur in the southwest Atlantic (5°-30°S) from January to April; in the northwest Atlantic (10°-35°N) from June to October; in the western and central North Pacific (2°-24°N) from May to October; in the equatorial Pacific (10°N-10°S) in April and November; and in the Indian Ocean (0°-13°S) from April to October.

Japanese longliners report that the blue marlin is the largest of the istiophorid fishes. It apparently grows larger in the Pacific. All giant marlins are females, and male blue marlin rarely exceed 300 lb (136 kg). The pectoral fins of blue marlin are never completely rigid, even after death, and can be folded completely flat against the sides except in the largest specimens. The dorsal fin is high and pointed anteriorly (rather than rounded) and its greatest height is less than the greatest body depth. The anal fin is relatively large and it too is pointed. Juveniles may not share all the characteristics listed above, but the peculiar lateral line system is usually visible in small specimens. In adults it is rarely visible unless the scales or skin are removed. The vent is just in front of the anal fin, as it is in all billfish except the spearfish. The back is cobalt blue and the flanks and belly are silvery white. There may be light blue or lavender vertical stripes on the sides, but these usually fade away soon after death, and they are never as obvious as those of the striped marlin. There are no spots on the fins.

They are known to feed on squid and pelagic fishes, including blackfin tuna and frigate mackerel. A powerful, aggressive fighter, they run hard and long, sound deep, and leap high into the air in a seemingly inexhaustible display of strength. Fishing methods include trolling large whole baits such as bonito, dolphin, mullet, mackerel, bonefish, ballyhoo, flying fish and squid as well as various types of artificial lures and sometimes strip baits.

Some taxonomists believe that the Atlantic and Pacific blue marlins are closely related but separate species. They apply the scientific name Makaira nigricans, Lacepede, 1892, to the Atlantic species only and the name Makaira mazara (Jordan & Snyder, 1901) to the Pacific and Indian Ocean species. Others treat the two populations as subspecies, Makaira nigricans nigricans and Makaira nigricans mazara

Snapper, mullet Lutjanus aratus

Günther, 1864

LUTJANIDAE FAMILY
Also called pargo, parfo colorado, pargo de jilguero, pargo lisa, pargo rayado

Mullet snpper occur in the eastern Pacific from Mexico to Equador, including the offshore islands. This inshore, reef-dwelling species grows to over 33 lb (15 kg). Juveniles are encountered in shallow water of coastal estuaries and embayments; adult mullets snapper range further offshore and may form aggregations consisting of several hundreds of individuals.

This species is easily recognized by the alternating dark and light stripes on the sides formed by parallel rows of scales that have yellowish-white centers. Mullet snapper are generally dark gray-green to reddish on the back and sides with a silvery bellly. Individuals from deeper water are mainly reddish.

Fish are dominant in the diet of this active predatory species. Other common foods include crabs, shrimps, prawns and other crustaceans, cephalopods and gastropods. They are strong fighters and can be taken on natural and artificial lures and flies. Methods of fishing include surf casting, drift fishing, jigging or anchoring to chum. Like most snapper, mullet snappers are considered good eating

Samson Fish Seriola hippos

Günther, 1876

CARANGIDAE FAMILY


This member of the jack family is a deeper-bodied cousin of the amberjack and yellowtail. Just like the rest of the family, it has a reputation of a brutal fighter. Endemic to the southern half of Australia, Norfolk Island and New Zealand, the samson fish has a cult following with anglers that like a good workout when fishing. Though superficially similar in appearance to the amberjack and yellowtail, samson fish can be differentiated by their slightly deeper bodies, steeper head profile and by the extremely broad rear corner of the upper jaw. In addition, unlike amberjack and yellow tail, samson fish have a band of papillae engorged with blood surrounding the teeth in the upper and lower jaws, which can give the teeth a red appearance.

Grouper, red Epinephelus morio

Valenciennes, 1828

SERRANIDAE FAMILY
Also called garoupa-de-São Tomé, cherna Americana, cherna de vivero, mero paracamo, mero

This fish occurs in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda with strays occurring as far north as Massachusetts. Juveniles may be found in shallow water, but adults are mainly found resting in potholes on, or edges close to rocky, flat bottoms in depths up to 1000 ft (305 m). Red grouper rarely occur around coral reefs.

Color is variable and can change, however the head and body are generally dark brown with a reddish cast, shading to pink or reddish below, with pale poorly defined pale areas and small black spots around the eye. The lining of the mouth varies from scarlet to orange. The soft dorsal, caudal and anal fins are dark with narrow white edges. This species is distinguished from Nassau grouper by its lack of a black saddle spot on the top of the tail just behind the dorsal fin and its straight first dorsal fin.

Like other grouper, the red is usually caught while bottom fishing with cut or live bait. Unlike other grouper that are associated with reefs, reds can be taken on relatively light tackle. Red grouper is one of the most important species of fish caught off the coast of Florida, the Campeche Bank and Yucatan Peninsula.

While not as highly rated in food value as some others groupers, the red grouper is still considered fine table fare

Grouper, black Mycteroperca bonaci

Poey, 1860

SERRANIDAE FAMILY
Also called black rockfish, marbled rockfish

Black grouper are perhaps the largest species of Mycteroperca in the Atlantic. They can be found on offshore wrecks and reefs in Bermuda, Florida, the southern Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, down to southern Brazil in the south Atlantic. Coloration in black grouper can vary, but their sides typically exhibit a rectangular pattern of dark grey blotches. The edges of the second dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are also dark black. Juveniles feed mainly on crustaceans, while adult fish prefer fish.

Like other grouper, when hooked black grouper are dogged opponents that must be turned quickly before they retreat to cover. They will take a variety of natural and artificial baits, and are considered outstanding table fare

Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus

Rafinesque, 1819

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called bream, sun perch, blue sunfish, copperbelly

Native to approximately the eastern half of the U.S.A. and a small portion of northeastern Mexico, the bluegill has been widely introduced elsewhere in North America as well as into Europe and South Africa. Today it is one of the most popular panfish species in North America. It has a greatly compressed, roundish (in profile) body that is typical of the sunfishes. Its color is highly variable and many range from dark blue or bluish purple to yellow, and in some cases (notably in quarry holes) it may even appear to be clear and colorless. Usually, there are 6 8 vertical bars on the sides, which may or may not be prominent. The gill cover (operculum) peaks into a broad, roundish flap that is black in color; however, it is not surrounded by a lighter colored trim as it is in some other sunfishes. It has the small mouth and head that are typical of sunfish species. The pectoral fins are pointed. Fly fishing for bluegills has become increasingly popular and light tackle anglers have long found it to be one of the best action fish, ounce for ounce, that can be caught

Trout, cutthroat Oncorhynchus clarkii

Richardson, 1836

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called Clark's trout, red throated trout, short tailed trout, lake trout, sea trout, brook trout, native trout, Yellowstone cutthroat, Snake River cutthroat, Lahontan cutthroat, coastal cutthroat, Rio Grande cutthroat, Colorado cutthroat, Utah cutthroat, Piute cutthroat, harvest trout

Cutthroat trout are the most widely distributed of all the western trouts of North America prooven by the many names that refer to rivers, states, or drainages where unique forms occur. Anadromous (sea run) forms of the cutthroat trout normally do not exist more than 100 miles (161 km) inland. They are known from the Eel River, California north to Prince William Sound, Alaska. Inland non anadromous forms occur from southern Alberta, Canada to as far south as New Mexico, as far east as Colorado and most of Montana and west as far as Alberta and eastern California. A small, disjunct population which may have been transplanted, occurs in northern Baja California, Mexico. The species has been transplanted to other locations, including the east coast of Quebec, Canada (1942), where it began to appear in fishermen's catches in 1966.

This is a highly variable fish, in coloration and size. The characteristic that gave the cutthroat its name is the yellow, orange, or red streak in the skin fold on each side under the lower jaw. The color of the body ranges from cadmium blue and silvery (sea run) to olive green or yellowish green. There may or may not be red on the sides of the head, front part of the body, and the belly. In some specimens there may be a narrow pink streak along the sides, but not as broad as in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The body is covered with black spots, which extend onto the dorsal fin, adipose fin, and the tail. Some are literally covered with spots, while in others the spots are sparse and larger, being more numerous on the posterior part of the body. On the tail, the spots radiate evenly outward as they do in such species as the rainbow trout, golden trout (O. aguabonita), and Arizona native trout (O. apache). While all of these species are very similar and closely related, only the cutthroat trout has hyoid teeth (teeth on the back of the tongue). These may be difficult to see or obsolete in some specimens. The tail of the cutthroat is slightly forked and all the fins are soft rayed.

The largest form (or subspecies) of O. clarki was once the Lahontan cutthroat, which was native to the Lahontan drainage system of Nevada and California, including Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and the Truckee River. These specimens had an average weight of about 20 lb (9.07 kg) and in 1925 a 41 lb (18.59 kg) Lahontan cutthroat was recorded from Pyramid Lake. In 1938 water was diverted from the Truckee River and the Lahontan became extinct except for populations maintained by stocking, none of which attain the large sizes they once did. The smallest cutthroat occurs only in the upper Silver King Creek, California and does not exceed 12 in (30 cm). Coastal anadromous cutthroats have been recorded to 17 lb (7.71 kg) but average under 5 lb (2.26 kg). Most inland forms do not much exceed 5 lb (2.26 kg).

It hybridizes freely in nature with rainbow, golden trout, and other close relatives. The flesh varies from white to red and is highly regarded

Bass, smallmouth Micropterus dolomieu

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also call black bass

The smallmouth bass is native to the eastern half of the U.S.A. and southeastern Canada from Manitoba and Quebec south to the Tennessee River system in Alabama and west to eastern Oklahoma. It has been widely transplanted so that today it occurs in almost every state and many other countries. It is not as widespread as the largemouth bass, (Micropterus salmoides).

The smallmouth bass is the second largest member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae, attaining a weight of almost 12 lb (5.45 kg). Only the largemouth bass, which reaches a weight of over 20 lb (9.08 kg), is heavier. The smallmouth is easily distinguished from the largemouth by its clearly connected dorsal fins, the scales on the base portion of the soft rayed second dorsal fin, and the upper jaw bone which extends only to about the middle of the eye. The coloration is also distinctive being usually more brownish in the smallmouth and more greenish in the largemouth. The smallmouth also has faint bars on the body (prominent in the young), while the largemouth has a fairly wide streak of oval or diamond shaped markings or blotches down the midline of the sides. In either species the colors may vary and the markings may be inconspicuous or absent in individuals based on time of year and various biological factors. Generally, the smallmouth has bars radiating back from the eyes, and though similar bars may be present in individuals of other species, including the largemouth, they seem to be more prominent and more consistently present in the smallmouth. The eyes are red or orangish. In young smallmouths there is a distinctive band of orange at the base of the tail. This is followed by a black band with the tip of the tail being white or yellow.

They prefer deeper water than the largemouth and areas of clear, fast flowing streams and pools with gravel/rubble bottom. In waters cohabited by both smallmouth and largemouth, the largemouth bass will spawn a little earlier due to the fact that the shallower nesting sites they choose in protected areas with emergent vegetation warm to the optimum temperature sooner than the deeper, rockier sites chosen by the smallmouths.

There are many who say that the smallmouth bass is gamer than the largemouth. There is no doubt that it rivals the largemouth in popularity

Permit Trachinotus falcatus

Linnaeus, 1758

CARANGIDAE FAMILY
Also called round pompano, great pompano, Indian River permit

Occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts, USA to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. The greatest concentrations are off south Florida and it is there that the biggest specimens are taken. Permit are essentially shallow water, schooling fish occurring over sandy flats and reefs in depths of from 1 to 17 fathoms. They travel in schools of ten or more fish, though occasionally they may be seen in great numbers. They tend to become more solitary with age.

It is distinguished from the common pompano, Trachinotus carolinus, by having fewer soft rays in the dorsal and anal fins. The second dorsal fin has 1 spine and 17 21 soft rays (22 27 in the pompano). The body is laterally compressed and the second and third ribs are prominent—often as big around as one's thumb in fish weighing over 10 lb (4 5 kg). These larger ribs can be felt through the sides of the fish and help in distinguishing the permit from the pompano. In overall appearance it is a silvery fish with dusky fins, though the back is usually bluish or grayish. The ventral fins and the anterior margin of the anal fin may be orange in some specimens. Often there is a triangular yellow patch before the anal fin.

They feed in much the same way as bonefish, rooting in the sand on shallow flats. Their diet consists primarily of mollusks, crustaceans, sea urchins, and less commonly, of smaller fish.

It is a tough fighter on light tackle. When hooked it makes an initial long, fast run toward deep water, twisting and pausing to bump its head on the bottom or rub its mouth in the sand in an effort to disengage the hook. If there is coral, a sea fan, or any other obstacle on which the permit can snag the line, it will. To complicate matters, its mouth is as tough as shoe leather and it simply spits out the hook the first time there is a slack in the line.

Fishing methods include casting to fish sighted in shallow water, bottom fishing, fishing over inshore wrecks, and jigging from boats or while wading. Baits and lures include crabs, shrimp, streamer flies, bonefish jigs, weighted bucktails, and plugs. Permit up to 8 or 10 pounds are considered excellent eating

Salmon, Atlantic (landlocked) Salmo salar

Linnaeus, 1758

SALMONIDAE FAMILY
Also called landlocked salmon, ouananiche, Kennebec salmon, Sebago salmon, black salmon, grilse, kelt, grayling, smolt, parr, slink

The Atlantic salmon is native to the northern Atlantic from the Connecticut River to Quebec, Iceland and southern Greenland. It also occurs from the Arctic Circle to Portugal. Inland, there are a number of landlocked populations that must be considered strictly freshwater fish. Otherwise, the species is anadromous (migrates to the sea and back, and spawns in fresh water). Unlike Pacific salmons (Oncorhynchus spp.), Atlantic salmon spawn more than once before dying.

It has the body shape of a trout, and is distinguished from trouts of the genus Oncorhynthus by coloration, size, and location of occurrence, among other things. At sea it is a silvery fish with a sparse scattering of small black spots often shaped like X's or Y's on the upper half of the body, and sometimes with a few spots on the cheek and gill cover. In inland waters, especially at spawning time, the Atlantic salmon turns a much darker color of bronze or dark brown. This change may be accompanied by the appearance of red spots on the head and body, making this fish look remarkably like a brown trout (Salmo trutta), its closest relative. Often brown trout may have circles, or halos, around some of its spots and the spotting may be heavier than in the Atlantic salmon, extending onto the lower half of the sides and the fins including the adipose fin. The spots do not normally take the form of X's or Y's.

The value of the Atlantic salmon both as a sports fish and as a commercial and food fish cannot be exaggerated.

Mackerel, king Scomberomorus cavalla

Cuvier, 1829

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called kingfish, giant mackerel

Found in the western Atlantic Ocean in tropical and subtropical waters, it ranges from Maine in the U.S. to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, and is common around south Florida in the winter months. This migratory species is constantly on the move. Stocks wintering in Florida migrate as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia during the summer. It also occurs around south Florida in the spring and early summer months.

A coastal, pelagic, schooling species, it is usually found in waters of 10 20 fathoms. Occasionally it may be caught from ocean piers and around inlets. Congregations often occur around wrecks, buoys, coral reefs, and other such areas where food is abundant. Schools vary in size and the largest individuals are usually loners.

They can be distinguished from other Spanish mackerels in the western Atlantic by the sharp dip in the lateral line under the second dorsal fin, by the relatively small number of spines in the first dorsal fin (14 16). The young have spots similar to those in the Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, but these spots disappear with age. The first dorsal fin is uniformly blue; the anterior third of this fin is never black as it is in the Spanish mackerel and the cero mackerel, S. regalis.

This is an important species, both commercially and as a sport fish. Fishing methods include trolling or drifting either deep or on the surface using strip baits, lures, or small whole baits as well as casting and live bait fishing. Balao, mullet, jacks, herring, pinfish, croakers, shrimp, spoons, feathers, jigs, and plugs have proven effective under various conditions, as have such combinations as feather strip bait and skirt strip bait. Chumming works well to attract and hold these fish

Bass, Australian Macquaria novemaculeata

Steindachner, 1866

PERCICTHYIDAE FAMILY
Also known as freshwater perch, eastern freshwater perch and perch

Occurs in coastal rivers and streams along the eastern seaboard from Tin Can Bay in Queensland, south through New South Wales and into eastern Victoria. Hatchery reared fish have been stocked for recreational fishing in inland impoundments in both New South Wales and Queensland however, these landlocked fish never spawn. The Australian bass is often found far upstream in freshwater while concealed in in-stream debris, in or near weedbeds, or under rocky outcrops and undercut banks. Euryhaline bass can tolerate wide fluctuations of salinity from fresh to saltwater. This species moves out of freshwaters into saline estuaries during midwinter to spawn. The planktonic eggs are carried out to sea and swept along shorelines and eventually populate river systems.

Sometimes confused with estuary perch (Macquaria colonorum), which has an overlapping range, bass may be differentiated from estuary perch by white edges to anal and pelvic fins, and more rounded and streamlined head and body profile. The back and sides of the bass are dark green, whereas the perch is silvery and has a slight hump on the head just behind the eye. The tail is forked and the two dorsal fins are deeply notched, almost forming two separate fins

Australian bass is an outstanding freshwater sportfish. It will respond to similar angling methods employed for trout and will easily outfight trout of a similar size. They are prized for their tenacious fighting ability, explosive surface strikes and willingness to take flies and lures as well as bait.

On the table, Australian bass is first-class fare, the flesh is firm with good texture

Trevally, bluefin Caranx melampygus

Cuvier, Valenciennes, 1833

CARANGIDAE FAMILY
Also called blue spotted jack, starry jack, blue crevally, omilu, bluefin kingfish

The bluefin trevally is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It can be found on the Pacific coast of America from Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of Baja, California, Mexico, and the Islas Revillagigedos and Tres Marias to Panama. It is common throughout Hawaii and Polynesia, occurring in harbors, channels, and on outer reefs. From Australia where it is known along the entire Queensland and northern coasts, it ranges northward through the Philippines and Micronesia to Japan. Young fish are abundant in the bays of Okinawa during September. Schools of thousands gather to spawn at the southern tip of Peleliu, in Palau, during the new moon in April. C. melampygus is also known from east Africa, the Ryukus, Mauritius, New Caledonia, India, Sir Lanka, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It almost certainly occurs in other parts of this range as well.

A large species growing to at least 3 ft (1 m) in length, it is among the most beautiful of the jacks or trevallys. In adults the back and flanks are a brilliant turquoise blue, silvery blue, or greenish blue, generously covered with small blue or black spots. The tail and other fins may be an even more striking blue than the body. The anal and dorsal fin lobes often are white tipped and the tail black edged. Young fish lack spots (including the opercular spot), and have a silvery yellow body much like that of any other jack species. Even these juveniles are distinctive with their bright yellow pectoral fins and deep blue second dorsal and anal fins.

Adults are deep bodied and have strong scutes. The dorsal fin is moderately low, with 8 spines plus 1 very small spine ahead of the fin. The second dorsal and anal fins are long with prominent anterior lobes. The tail is deeply forked and the pectoral fins are long and falcate. The sloping forehead of the is distinctive giving this fish a profile that is readily recognizable to those who are familiar with them. Males are slightly larger than females and sexual maturity occurs at a fork length of about 15 in (40 cm).

They frequent deeper lagoon and outer reef waters during the day. In evening they enter harbors, channels, and shallow reef areas to feed, then retreat to the deeper areas. They feed actively on smaller pelagic fishes and other fishes and crustaceans. In the late evening and early morning, they can be caught by surf casters using small fish baits, crustaceans, or lures. They are also taken from boats over the in shore reefs with similar baits and jigs, and with spoons and feathers trolled at 3 to 6 miles per hour.

The flesh is firm and very good table fare, prized over most of the other species of ulua

Threadfin, giant African Polydactylus quadrifilis

Cuvier, 1829

POLYNEMIDAE FAMILY
Also called barbo, barbudo, capitaine, ntsena.

This species occurs in the shallow and often muddy waters of estuaries and lagoons or along beaches in the Eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Congo.

It is relatively elongate somewhat compressed fish with an inferior mouth overhanging blunt snout. The maxilla reaches past the eye, it's posterior edge greatly expanded. There are 4-5 detached threadlike lower rays on the pectoral fins, which are only slightly longer than the upper pectoral rays. Coloration of the giant African threadfin is dull silvery gray or brownish on the back shading to whitish ventrally; a dark smudge sometimes is present on the gill cover.

The giant African threadfin is a carnivorous feeder with a main diet of small fish, crabs, prawns, squid or octopus. The long "threads" in the pectoral area are thought to be used in finding food in the muddy water where they are frequently found.

This species is highly respected for the strong tackle-testing fighting abilities. Threadfin can be especially difficult on fly, where an accurate presentation is often necessary to elicit a strike. Once hooked, threadfin are unpedictable, erratic fighters.

Like other members of the Polynemidae Family, the giant African threadfin is excellent table fare

Bonito, Atlantic Sarda sarda

Bloch, 1793

SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY
Also called common bonito, katonkel, belted bonito

Occurs in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Argentina to Nova Scotia and from South Africa to Norway. It is apparently rare in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, and is common in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It is replaced in the Pacific by other Sarda species. The Atlantic bonito is often confused with the skipjack or with other Atlantic Scombroid species. The bonitos have stripes on the back, not the belly. The first dorsal fin has 20 23 spines. The second dorsal fin consists of 13 18 rays followed by 7 10 finlets. The anal fin consists of 14 17 rays followed by 6 8 finlets. The caudal peduncle has a lateral keel on either side. As with all Scombroid fishes, there are also two smaller keels farther back, above and below the main keel. The Sarda species have no teeth on the tongue and no swim bladder. Also, the intestine is straight, rather than folded in the middle. There is a total of 16 23 gill rakers on the first gill arch. The back is steel blue or blue green. The lower flanks and belly are silvery.

This species is pelagic, schooling and migratory and feeds on smaller fishes and squids usually at or near the surface 15 20 miles offshore. A strong, fast swimmer, it is known to skip or leap on the surface when in pursuit of prey. Best fishing methods include trolling at or near the surface, casting, jigging, or live bait fishing. Baits include small pelagic schooling fishes and squid as well as cut fish, strip baits, or any of a variety of artificial lures. The flesh is light colored and of good quality, though held in low esteem by some.

Muskellunge Esox masquinongy

Mitchill, 1824

ESOCIDAE FAMILY
Also called maskinonge, muskallonge, muskie, musky, 'lunge, silver muskellunge, Great Lakes muskellunge, Ohio muskellunge, spotted muskellunge, barred muskellunge, great muskellunge, great pike, blue pike, etc. Occasionally, it is referred to as a “jack” in some areas.

It is endemic to the northeastern United States, throughout the area of the Great Lakes south to Georgia, and north to Quebec (St. Lawrence Seaway) and Ontario in Canada. It has been introduced into Manitoba west of Lake Winnipeg. It rarely ventures far from cover, and prefers shallow, heavily vegetated waters less than 40 ft (12 m) deep, usually along rocky shorelines in slow moving streams and larger rivers.

At one time, it was believed that there were at least four species of muskellunge, but these “varieties” are now considered to be one species, Esox masquinongy. The exception to this is the tiger musky, which is a hybrid, a cross between a muskellunge and a northern pike (E. lucius).

The musky and all other species belonging to the Esox genus have a distinctive body that is long and sleek with a single dorsal fin located very far back near the tail. The pelvic (ventral) fins are located relatively far back on the belly, about half way between the pectoral fins and the tail, instead of directly under the pectoral fins. The mouth is large with the maxillae reaching back at least to the middle of the eyes, and broad, like a duck's bill, but full of teeth.

It can be distinguished from the pike and the pickerels by several factors. It may be barred, spotted, or have no markings at all, but any markings that do occur will be darker than the background of the body. The northern pike, by comparison, has light colored, oblong spots against a darker body, and the chain pickerel (E. niger) has a unique chain like pattern on the sides. The redfin and grass pickerels (subspecies of E. americanus) look much more like the musky in their markings, but they only grow to about 15 in (38 cm) long. Another distinction occurs in the number of pores under the lower jaw. In the musky there are 6 9 along each side (rarely 5 or 10 on one side only). In the northern pike there are 5 along each side (rarely 3, 4, or 6 on one side only). In the pickerels, there are 4 along each side (occasionally 3 or 5 on one side only).

This is a very popular game fish, and many anglers dedicate themselves almost exclusively to its pursuit. The musky is very elusive, and is not a common catch, even for those who constantly seek it out.

The flesh is white and flaky and of excellent quality, but many caught by anglers are either mounted or released

Bass, yellow Morone mississippiensis

Jordan and Eigenmann, 1887

MORONIDAE FAMILY
Also called barfish, brassy bass, stripe, striped bass (erroneously), streaker

The yellow bass can be found in quiet pools and backwaters of large streams, lakes, and reservoirs from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan south to Louisiana, eastern Texas, and the lower Coosa and Mobile Bay drainages. It is relatively confined to the central Mississippi Valley area and has not been extensively transplanted, though it has been introduced to some degree into other areas of the states within its native range as well as Arizona.

The yellow bass resembles its close relative, the white bass (Morone chrysops), but can be recognized by its golden yellow sides and more irregular stripes (of the 6 7 stripes the 3 4 that lie below the lateral line are broken or interrupted toward the tail.

The yellow bass is a scrappy fighter and a popular species among light tackle and panfish anglers. The flesh is white, flaky and better tasting than the white bass

Snook, Pacific Centropomus spp

CENTROPOMIDAE FAMILY
Also called robalo; (western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico: C. parallelus Poey, 1860, fat; C. pectinatus Poey, 1860, tarpon; C. undecimalis (Bloch, 1792), common; C. mexicanus Bocourt, 1868, Constantino or Guianan ; C. ensiferus Poey, 1860, swordspine or swordfin; C. poeyi Chávez, 1961, Mexican and (eastern Pacific: C. nigrescens Günther, 1864, black snook; C. unionensis Bocourt, 1868, humpback or union; C. armatus Gill, 1863, longspine; C. viridis Lockington, 1877, white; C. medius Günther, 1864, blackfin; C. robalito Jordan & Gilbert, 1882, yellowfin)

The genus Centropomus is confined to the American tropics and subtropics. Six species occur in the Atlantic and six in the Pacific. None occur in both oceans. They inhabit shallow coastal waters, estuaries and brackish lagoons, often penetrating far inland in fresh water. Their movements between fresh and salt water are seasonal, but they stay close to shore and never stray far from estuaries.

They are very distinctive and it would be difficult to confuse them with any other fishes. The lower jaw protrudes and a highly prominent black lateral line runs from the top of the gill cover along the sides and all the way through the tail. The body is compressed and the snout depressed and pike like. Two dorsal fins are separated by a gap. The second anal spine is conspicuous, spurlike, much thicker than the first and third. The margin of the preopercle is serrate, with 1 5 enlarged denticles at angle.

One of the axioms relating to fish species is that the colors will likely be variable depending on season, habitat, and/or any number of other conditions. The snook is no exception. The back of the snook may be brown, brown gold, olive green, dark gray, greenish silver, or black, depending largely on the areas the fish inhabits. The flanks and belly are silvery.

Its diet consists mainly of fish and crustaceans. Fishing methods include trolling or casting artificial lures or still fishing with live baits like pinfish, mullet, shrimp, crabs, or other small fish. Best fishing is said to be on the changing tide, especially high falling tide around river mouths and coastal shores and night fishing from bridges and in ocean inlets. A flooding or rising tide is more productive at creek heads.

An excellent table fish with delicate, white, flaky meat, it is a member of the Centropomidae family, which also includes the 200 lb (90.72 kg) Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and the barramundi (Lates calcarifer). It usually matures by the third year and has a life span of at least seven years. It is very sensitive to temperature and may not survive at temperatures below about 60oF (15oC).

Gar, alligator Atractosteus spatula

Lacepede, 1803

LEPISOSTEIDAE


FAMILY; also called pejelagarto, catán,

The alligator gar is an inhabitant of large rivers, bays, and coastal marine waters from the western Florida panhandle (the Econfina River) west along the Gulf of Veracruz, Mexico, and north in the Mississippi River drainage as far as the lower reaches of the Ohio and Missouri rivers. It has been reported from Lake Nicaragua and the Sapoa River.

Believed to grow to over 300 lb (136 kg) with a head that looks very much like an alligator's, it is certainly one of the most distinctive freshwater species. It can be distinguished from all other gars by the two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, its broader snout, and its size when fully grown. All other gars have one row of teeth in the upper jaw. In most other respects all gars are very similar in appearance, with a long body, a long, toothy snout, and a single dorsal fin that is far back on the body above the anal fin and just before the tail. The tail is rounded and the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are fairly evenly spaced on the lower half of the body. The gars most closely resemble the fishes of the pike family (muskellunge, northern pike, and the pickerels, Esox spp.) in body shape and fin placement. In these fishes the tail is forked, not rounded.

Because of its huge size and great strength, the alligator gar is popular with anglers. Obviously, it is not a fish that is easily caught, as its sharp teeth will cut most lines in an instant. They are edible, but are not highly rated by most people. The roe (eggs) should never be eaten as it is toxic to man, animals, and birds (but apparently not to other fish), and will cause severe illness in people and sometimes death in smaller animal

Snapper, yellowtail Ocyurus chrysurus

Bloch, 1791

LUTJANIDAE FAMILY
Also known as yellowtail, ciobo, saioba, sioba, rubia, sad kol, rabo-aberto, sarde queue jaune, colas

In the western Atlantic, yellowtail snapper range from Massachusetts and Bermuda to southwestern Brazil; including the Gulf of Mexico. They are abundant in the Bahamas, southern Florida and throughout the Caribbean.

This colorful reef fish is easily identifiable. The body is olive or bluish gray above with olive-yellow spots and blotches. It has a prominent, brilliant yellow stripe running from the tip of the snout through the eye to the tail; the dorsal fin is also mostly yellow . The deeply forked tail is bright yellow, hence the name.

Yellowtail inhabit coastal water to a depth of 300 feet (91.5 m) and are mainly found associated with coral reefs. It can be found well above the bottom in loose schools or alone.

A common approach to catching yellowtail is chumming at anchor. These finicky feeders are attracted to the chum and then fished with live or cut bait; even plugs and flies. Many of the largest yellowtails are caught bottom fishing in deep water with live pilchards or other fish, even large ballyhoo.

The immensely popular species is an excellent sport fish and considered by many to be the tastiest of all the snappers