Species: Oligoplites saurus saurus, Leatherjack, Atlantic Leatherjack

Oligoplites saurus saurus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Leatherjack, Atlantic Leatherjack

Elongate, very compressed; snout pointed; upper jaw terminating at or slightly beyond rear edge of eye, its length 52-57% of head length; upper jaw with 2 distinct rows of teeth; lower jaw not expanded, with weakly convex lower profile; gill rakers (excluding rudiments) 17-21, lower rakers 13-16; dorsal rays V (rarely IV of VI)+I, 19-21; anal rays II+I, 19-22, fin base about = to that of soft dorsal fin; posterior 11-15 dorsal and anal soft rays forming semi-detached finlets; pectoral short (< head length); tail base slender; tail strongly forked; lateral line slightly arched over pectoral fin, but mainly straight; scales needle shaped, partly buried; no scutes on lateral line.

Overall silvery, greenish to bluish above, whitish or suffused with orange below; sometimes 7-8 irregular silver bars on body; tail fin clear to amber.

Size: grows to 35 cm, common to 25 cm.

Habitat: demersal; occurs in schools along sandy beaches, bays and estuaries; enters freshwater.

Depth: 0-30 m.

Massachusetts to Brazil.

Note: Anal spines are venomous.

Note: A separate subspecies, Oligoplites saurus inornatus, lives in the eastern Pacific.