Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish
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ffirs.qxd 10/31/03 9:25 AM Page iii • • • • KEN SCHULTZ’S Field Guide to Saltwater Fish by Ken Schultz JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. ffirs.qxd 10/31/03 9:25 AM Page i • • • • KEN SCHULTZ’S Field Guide to Saltwater Fish ffirs.qxd 10/31/03 9:25 AM Page ii ffirs.qxd 10/31/03 9:25 AM Page iii • • • • KEN SCHULTZ’S Field Guide to Saltwater Fish by Ken Schultz JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. ffirs.qxd 10/31/03 9:25 AM Page iv This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright © 2004 by Ken Schultz. All rights reserved Published by John WIley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada Design and production by Navta Associates, Inc. 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For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Schultz, Ken. Ken Schultz’s field guide to saltwater fish / by Ken Schultz. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0–471–44995–4 (Cloth) 1. Marine fishes—North America. 2. Marine fishes—North America— Identification. I. Title: Field guide to saltwater fish. II. Title. QL625.S42 2004 597.177—dc22 2003015773 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ftoc.qxd 10/31/03 9:26 AM Page v • • • • Contents Introduction 1 An Overview of Fish 3 Fish Anatomy 11 Species Albacore 29 Coney 57 Alewife 30 Corbina, California 58 Amberjack, Greater 31 Corvina 59 Amberjack, Lesser 32 Croaker, Atlantic 60 Anchovies 33 Croaker, Spotfin 61 Angelfish, Queen 34 Croaker, White 62 Barracuda, Great 35 Croaker, Yellowfin 63 Barracuda, Pacific 36 Cutlassfish 64 Bass, Kelp (Calico) 37 Dogfish, Spiny 65 Bass, Striped 38 Dolphin, Common 66 Batfish 40 Dolphin, Pompano 68 Bluefish 41 Drum, Black 69 Blue Tang 42 Drum, Red 70 Bocaccio 43 Eel, American Conger 72 Bonefish 44 Eels, Moray 73 Bonito, Atlantic 46 Eels, Snake 74 Bonito, Pacific 47 Eulachon 75 Bream, Sea 48 Flounder, Gulf 76 Bumper, Atlantic and Pacific 49 Flounder, Southern 77 Butterfish 50 Flounder, Starry 78 Capelin 51 Flounder, Summer 79 Catfish, Gafftopsail 52 Flounder, Winter 80 Chub, Bermuda 53 Flyingfish 81 Cobia 54 Gag 82 Cod, Atlantic 55 Goosefish 83 Cod, Pacific 56 Graysby 84 v ftoc.qxd 10/31/03 9:26 AM Page vi Grouper, Black 85 Mackerel, Cero 122 Grouper, Goliath 86 Mackerel, Frigate 123 Grouper, Nassau 87 Mackerel, King 124 Grouper, Red 88 Mackerel, Pacific Jack 125 Grouper, Warsaw 89 Mackerel, Pacific Sierra 126 Grouper, Yellowfin 90 Mackerel, Spanish 127 Grunion, California 91 Marlin, Blue 128 Grunt, Bluestriped 92 Marlin, Striped 130 Grunt, French 93 Marlin, White 132 Grunt, White 94 Menhaden, Atlantic 133 Guaguanche 95 Milkfish 134 Guitarfish, Atlantic 96 Mojarra 135 Haddock 97 Mullet 136 Hagfish 98 Needlefish 137 Hake, Pacific 99 Opaleye 138 Hake, Red 100 Palometa 139 Hake, Silver 101 Perch, Silver 140 Halfbeaks and Balao 102 Perch, White 141 Halibut, Atlantic 103 Permit 142 Halibut, California 104 Pigfish 143 Halibut, Pacific 105 Pilotfish 144 Herring 106 Pinfish 145 Herring, Atlantic 107 Pollock 146 Herring, Pacific 108 Pompano, African 147 Hind, Red 109 Pompano, Florida 148 Hind, Rock 110 Porgies 149 Jack, Almaco 111 Porgy, Jolthead 150 Jack, Bar 112 Queenfish (Croaker) 151 Jack, Crevalle 113 Rays and Skates 152 Jack, Pacific Crevalle 113 Remoras 154 Jack, Horse-eye 114 Rockfish 155 Jack, Yellow 115 Rockfish, Black 156 Killifish 116 Rockfish, Copper 157 Ladyfish 117 Rockfish, Yelloweye 158 Lingcod 118 Roosterfish 159 Lookdown 119 Runner, Blue 160 Lumpfish 120 Runner, Rainbow 161 Mackerel, Atlantic 121 Sailfish 162 vi Contents ftoc.qxd 10/31/03 9:26 AM Page vii Salmon, Atlantic 164 Shark, Sand Tiger 206 Salmon, Chinook 165 Shark, Sharpnose 207 Salmon, Chum 167 Shark, Shortfin Mako 208 Salmon, Coho 168 Sharks, Thresher 209 Salmon, Pink 170 Shark, Tiger 210 Salmon, Sockeye 171 Shark, White 211 Sanddab, Longfin 172 Sheephead, California 212 Sanddab, Pacific 173 Sheepshead 213 Sand Lance 174 Silversides 214 Sardine, Pacific 175 Skipjack, Black 215 Sargo 176 Sleepers 216 Sauries 177 Smelt 217 Scorpionfish, California 178 Smelt, Rainbow 218 Sculpin 179 Snapper, Cubera 219 Scup 180 Snapper, Gray 220 Sea Bass, Black 181 Snapper, Lane 221 Sea Bass, Giant 182 Snapper, Mutton 222 Seabass, White 183 Snapper, Pacific Cubera 223 Sea Robin 184 Snapper, Red 224 Seatrout, Sand 185 Snapper, Yellowtail 225 Seatrout, Silver 186 Snook, Fat/Swordspine/ Seatrout, Spotted 187 Tarpon 226 Sennets 189 Snook, Common 228 Shad, Alabama 190 Sole, Petrale 230 Shad, American 191 Spadefish 231 Shad, Hickory 192 Spearfish, Longbill and Sharks 193 Shortbill 232 Shark, Atlantic Angel 195 Spot 233 Shark, Basking 196 Steelhead 234 Shark, Blacktip 197 Sturgeon, Atlantic 235 Shark, Blue 198 Sturgeon, White 236 Shark, Bonnethead 199 Sunfish, Ocean 237 Shark, Bull 200 Surfperch 238 Sharks, Hammerhead 201 Swordfish 239 Shark, Lemon 202 Tarpon 241 Shark, Leopard 203 Tautog 243 Shark, Porbeagle 204 Tilefish 244 Shark, Sandbar 205 Tomcod, Atlantic 245 Contents vii ftoc.qxd 10/31/03 9:26 AM Page viii Tomcod, Pacific 246 Tuna, Yellowfin 257 Tomtate 247 Tunny, Little 259 Tope 248 Wahoo 260 Torpedo, Atlantic 249 Weakfish 261 Triggerfish 250 Wolffish 262 Tripletail 251 Wreckfish 263 Tuna, Bigeye 252 Yellowtail 264 Tuna, Blackfin 253 Tuna, Bluefin 254 Glossary 265 Tuna, Skipjack 256 viii Contents Intro.qxd 10/31/03 9:39 AM Page 1 • • • • Introduction his guide is derived from the widely praised and award-winning vol- ume Ken Schultz’s Fishing Encyclopedia. Weighing nearly 10 pounds T and containing 1,916 pages of information in an 8.5- by 11-inch for- mat, it is hardly a book that can be taken afield or casually perused. Among the many virtues of the encyclopedia is its detailed information about prey and predator species worldwide, which many people—including numerous lure designers, scientific researchers, and anglers—find very valu- able and which is available nowhere else. To make it easier for people inter- ested in the major North American fish species to reference this subject matter, that portion of the encyclopedia was excerpted into two compact and portable guides, Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Freshwater Fish and Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Saltwater Fish. These books are primarily intended for the angler, placing major empha- sis on gamefish species (nearly 260) sought in the fresh- and saltwaters of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and on the prey species that most gamefish use for forage. Although many hundreds of species are included here, such compact books lack room for detailed information about many of the lesser species; however, they are well represented in the information that exists under certain groupings. For example, there are more than 300 species of “minnows” in North America, and much of what is said about them as a group in the freshwater guide pertains to the majority of individ- uals. Profiles are provided, nonetheless, of some of the more prominent members of this group. The same is true for some larger, more well-known groups of fish, like sharks. There are at least 370 species of sharks worldwide and dozens in North America. The saltwater guide provides an overview of this group, as well as specific information about the most prominent North American members. And, of course, color illustrations help identify the individual species profiled. There is a slight but deliberate content overlap in both books, as some species occur in both freshwater and saltwater. This is primarily true for anadromous fish like salmon, shad, and striped bass. However, a few saltwa- ter species, such as snook, mullet, and ladyfish, are known to move into freshwater for part of their lives, even though they are not technically anadromous, and thus are also represented in both volumes. In this sense, 1 Intro.qxd 10/31/03 9:39 AM Page 2 certain species were included in both books for practical reasons, as opposed to purely scientific ones.