Species: Pomatomus saltatrix, Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766)

Bluefish

Body sturdy, elongated, compressed; head large; mouth large, opens at front, lower jaw sometimes projecting; jaw teeth prominent, triangular, sharp, compressed, fixed together, in a single row; preopercle with a membrane flap over bone below it; two dorsal fins: VII-VIII weak, short spines + I, 23-28 low, long soft dorsal; anal fin a little shorter than soft dorsal, II-III, 23-27; tail fin moderately forked; pectorals short; pelvics inserted before pectoral base; scales small, covering head, body and bases of vertical fins and all of soft dorsal and anal; lateral line complete, straight.

Greenish blue above, silvery below; dorsal, anal and tail fins green, tinged with yellow; pectorals dark blue at base.

Reaches 130 cm; 14.4 kg.

Schooling inshore in coastal waters and offshore, prefer clean, high energy waters, although can be found in estuaries and brackish water.

Depth range: 0-200 m.

Temperate and subtropical worldwide except for the absent from the Indo-central Pacific north of the equator, and all of the E Pacific. Nova Scotia to Argentina.