Ladyfish (Elops saurus)

Scientific name: Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766

The Ladyfish (Elops saurus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Elopidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 25-29; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 16 - 19; Vertebrae: 73 - 85. Scales small, more than 100 in lateral line. Gular plate narrow. Silvery overall, with bluish on upper surface. Branchiostegal rays: 26-33.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Elops saurus
Family: Elopidae (Tenpounders)
Order: Elopiformes (Tarpons and Tenpounders)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 100.0
Common length: 60.0
Depth range: 50 m (164 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish;; pH range: 0.2 - ? reef-associated; amphidromous; depth range ? - 50 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Cape Cod (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil. Questionable occurrence records in the China, Taiwan (47843), and Vietnam.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: usually
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.22-0.3; tm=2)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026