Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Scientific name: Pomatomus saltatrix Linnaeus, 1766

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

The Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is a brackish-water fish of the family Pomatomidae.

Biology

Occur in oceanic and coastal waters. They are most common along surf beaches and rock headlands in clean, high energy waters, although adults can also be found in estuaries and into brackish water. Small fish may be found in shallow coastal waters at least 2 m depth, in schools pursuing and attacking small fishes. Adults are in loose groups, often attacking shoals of mullets or other fishes and destroying numbers apparently far in excess of feeding requirements. Feed on other fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. Associated with sharks and billfishes. Voracious and aggressive, reported to bite when handled. Migrate to warmer water during winter and to cooler water in summer. Popular game fish. Good food fish; marketed mostl

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Pomatomus saltatrix
Family
Pomatomidae (Bluefishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
130
Common length
60.0
Depth range
0–200 m (0–656 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 200 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Circumglobal: In tropical to subtropical waters; except the eastern Pacific. Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to South Africa, including the Mediterranean and Black Sea, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Western Atlantic: Canada and Bermuda to Argentina. Indian Ocean: along the coast of East Africa, Madagascar, southern Oman, southwest India, the Malay Peninsula, and Western Australia. Southwest Pacific: Australia except the Northern Territory, and New Zealand. Absent from eastern Pacific and northwest Pacific. Barely entering the Western Central Pacific region. Records from the Northern Territory, Australia and from Indonesia appear to be erroneous. Occurrence in Taiwan and Hawaii need verification.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: usually
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.10-0.13; tm=2; tmax=9; Fec=1 million)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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