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