SAND SEATROUT – Cynoscion arenarius
Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS Description: pale body color, yellow above, silver to white below; one or two prominent canine teeth usually at tip of upper jaw; inside of mouth yellow; no well-defined black spots on back; 10 to 12 soft rays in anal fin; no chin barbels. Similar fish: silver seatrout, C. nothus. Where found: a […]
RED DRUM – Sciaenops ocellatus
Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS Other local names: redfish Description: chin without barbels; copper-bronze body, lighter shade in clear waters; one to many spots at base of tail (rarely no spots); mouth horizontal and opening downward; scales large. Similar fish: black drum, Pogonias cromis. Where found: juveniles are an INSHORE fish, migrating out of the estuaries at […]
BLACK DRUM – Pogonias cromis
Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS Description: high arched back; 10 to 14 pairs of chin barbels; gray or black colored body in adults; young have 4 to 6 vertical bars; has cobblestone like teeth capable of crushing oysters; scales large. Similar fish: red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus; the vertical bars on juvenile black drum are somewhat similar to […]
ATLANTIC CROAKER – Micropogonias undulatus
Family Sciaenidae, DRUMS Description: inferior mouth; 3 to 5 pairs of small barbels on chin; silver-gray or bronze body with dark oblique wavy bars or lines; iridescent especially on head; preopercle strongly serrated. Similar fish: spot, Leiostomus xanthurus (has no chin barbels and has a dark blotch on shoulder). Size: usually less than 2 pounds. […]
TOMTATE – Haemulon aurolineatum
Family Haemulidae, GRUNTS Other local names: silver grunt Description: bright orange mouth lining; light colored; gray to tan on back; yellow to brown stripe from head to base of tail fin; black blotch at base of tail fin fades away in larger specimens. Where found: bottom fish found around reefs and hard bottom areas. Size: […]
PIGFISH – Orthopristis chrysoptera
Family Haemulidae, GRUNTS Description: gray, often with a bluish cast; many bronze to yellowish spots, dashes, and other small markings; mouth small, ending below front nostril. Size: to 38 cm (15 in.). Where found: bay and banks; not on reefs in water less than 60 ft. Mark MayoI research and report on fishing, fishing gear/equipment, […]
WHITE GRUNT – Haemulon plumieri
Family Haemulidae, GRUNTS Description: body color light bluish-gray, head with horizontal blue stripes, white underbelly; black blotch on preopercle; margin of each scale bronze; large bright orange mouth; scales above lateral line larger than scales below lateral line. Similar fish: other grunts. Where found: from SHORE to the outer reef edge or on OFFSHORE hard […]
SPOTTAIL PINFISH – Diplodus holbrooki
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: dark saddle on caudal peduncle sometimes forms a complete ring around peduncle in adults; eight faint bars on body, alternately long and short; more prominent in young; edge of opercular membrane blackish; pelvic and anal fins dusky brown, dorsal fin less dark. Size: to 46 cm (18 in.). Where Found: inshore […]
PINFISH – Lagodon rhomboides
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: small mouth with incisor-like teeth; distinctive black spot behind the gill cover; body bluish-silver with blue and orangeyellow horizontal stripes, yellow fins. Where found: seagrass beds, bridges, piers, marker pilings, and around natural and artificial reefs; spawn offshore. Size: usually less than 8 in. Remarks: popular live bait, notorious bait stealers. […]
LITTLEHEAD PORGY – Calamus proridens
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: similar to the knobbed porgy, but snout and cheek bluish gray, with many wavy, dark blue lines; areas between lines sometimes brassy; each scale on upper body has a dark bluish line through the center; these lines unite to form a narrow line along each scale row. Size: to 46 cm […]