Species: Peprilus triacanthus, Butterfish

Peprilus triacanthus (Peck, 1804)

Butterfish

Body highly compressed, an elongate oval, depth 33-37% SL; eye relatively large, 27-29% of head length, with a fatty ring around it; snout short, mouth small, oblique, ends before or under front of eye; jaw teeth compressed, 3-pointed, in 1 row, no teeth on roof of mouth; dorsal and anal fins long based, with II-IV small, flattened, leaf-like spines, front lobes elevated, but short and triangular; no pelvic fins, but a small spine projecting from pelvis; pectoral fins long and pointed; tail fin deeply forked, stiff; scales very small, smooth, very easily shed; dorsal and anal fins covered with scales lateral line high, follows upper body profile, almost complete; a conspicuous series of 17-25 pores along front half of body under dorsal fin.

Pale blue above, silvery below; often with numerous irregular dark spots on upper body.

Size: grows to at least 30 cm.

Habitat: pelagic, forms large loose schools over sand and mud bottoms on the continental shelf and in large estuaries; juveniles under floating weeds and with jellyfish.

Depth: 15-420 m, usually in < 55 m.

Canada to southern Florida, rarely in the Gulf of Mexico & Cuba.

Note: There are two forms of this species: the shallow form (<50 m) has a deeper body and lacks spots; the deeper form (>250 m) is shallower-bodied and spotted, and very similar to P. burti.

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