Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
The bluefish is a large, long fish with a greenish-blue body. (Richard Ling/Flickr)
The bluefish is a large, long fish with a greenish-blue body and a forked tail. It visits the Chesapeake Bay’s open waters from spring through autumn.
Appearance:
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Elongated, greenish-blue body
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Silvery belly
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Large mouth with strong jaws and sharp teeth
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Black blotch at the base of the pectoral fin
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Forked, light green tail fin
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Usually grows 40-45 inches long and can weigh as much as 30 pounds
Habitat:
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Forms schools in open waters
Range:
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Visits the Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn
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Abundant in the lower Bay, but also common most years in the upper Bay as far north as Baltimore
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In early autumn, migrates out of the Bay to spend the winter in warmer waters off the Florida coast
Feeding:
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Eats squid and smaller, schooling fish such as menhaden and anchovies
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Uses its sharp teeth to attack and feed on prey
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May be the most voracious predator in the Bay. A bluefish will kill another fish just for the sake of killing it.
Predators:
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Sharks, tuna and swordfish may prey upon bluefish
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Humans catch bluefish for commercial and recreational purposes
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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Spawns off the mid-Atlantic coast during summer
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Juveniles from this spawning period and a southern spring spawning period enter the Bay in late summer
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Can live for more than 12 years
Other Facts:
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Bluefish are very aggressive. They have been known to bite humans who wander too close to a school of fish being hunted.
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The Chesapeake Bay record bluefish was caught in 1986 at Bluefish Rock near Hampton, Virginia. It weighed 25 pounds, 4 ounces.
Sources and Additional Information:
