Species: Pomatomus saltatrix, the Bluefish
A II-III, 23-27
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.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Brackish
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Mid Water
- Water column only
- Surface
- Near Surface
- Habitat
-
- Estuary
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Zooplankton
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
-
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Also in Brazil
- Continental primarily
- Extends North of GC
- Continent
- Extends South of GC
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC non-endemic
- Extends N + S of GC
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Not evaluated / Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 130
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 200
