Pomatomus saltatrix
Family : Pomatomidae
Genus : Pomatomus
Species : saltatrix
Size / Weight / Age
Max length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; common length :
60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight:
14.4 kg; max. reported age: 9 years
Length at first maturity
Lm 29.0, range 30 - ? cm
Pomatomus saltatrix
Family : Pomatomidae
Genus : Pomatomus
Species : saltatrix
Size / Weight / Age
Max length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; common length :
60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight:
14.4 kg; max. reported age: 9 years
Length at first maturity
Lm 29.0, range 30 - ? cm
Environment
Pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; brackish; marine;
depth range 0 - 200 m
Climate / Range
Subtropical; 45°N - 44°S, 180°W - 180°E
Distribution and Habitat
Water Type: Brack & Salt
Habitat: - Shad / Elf. (Linnaeus, 1766) See published work
by Rudy Van der Elst on the biology of this fish.
Distribution: Circumglobal, except eastern Pacific.
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.
Short description
Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23 - 28; Anal spines:
2 - 3; Anal soft rays: 23 - 27. Jaw teeth prominent,
sharp, compressed, in a single series. Two dorsal fins, the first short and low,
with 7 or 8 feeble spines connected by a membrane.
Back greenish, sides and belly silvery.
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 mostly fresh, but also
dried or salted, and frozen.
Common Names
Common Name/ Used In/ Language
Bluefish FishWise English
Bluefish USA English
Bluefish United Kingdom English
Bluefish USA English
bluefish AFS English
Elf South Africa English
sinikala Estonian Estonia
Elf - cape South Africa English
Shad South Africa English
Shad - natal South Africa English
Elf - Cape Shad - Natal Smiths' Sea Fishes English
Shad - Natal Elf - Cape Smiths' Sea Fishes English
Elwe South Africa Afrikaans
Choppers Australia English
Jumbos Australia English
Razorbacks Australia English
Skipjack Australia English
Tailor Australia English
Blue-fish United Kingdom English
Ancho Trinidad and Tobago English
Ach'ked Mauritania Arabic, Hassaniya
Amikiri Japan Japanese
Anchova Mozambique Portuguese
Anchova Portugal Portuguese
Anchova de banco Nicaragua Spanish
Anchova de banco Spain Spanish
Anjova Spain Spanish
Anjova Cuba Spanish
anjova AFS Spanish
Blaufisch Germany, Fed. Rep. German
Coupe-fil Mauritania French
Dyphavsabbor Norway Norwegian
Dzolhwa Mozambique Portuguese
Enchova Brazil Portuguese
Gofári Greece Greek
Lufar Ukraine Russian
Lüfer Turkey Turkish
Ngal-ngal Senegal Wolof
N'got Mauritania Wolof
Pesce serra Italy Italian
Plitica Yugoslavia, Former SFR of Serbo-Croat
Qayac Somalia Other
Rakk Senegal Wolof
Sinikala Finland Finnish
skakavka Slovenia Slovene
Strijelka skakusa Yugoslavia, Former SFR of Serbo-Croat
Tasergal Poland Polish
Tassergal France French
Tassergal jeune Senegal French
Tekwa Oman Arabic
Tekwaya Oman Arabic
Teleskopabborre Sweden Swedish
Xidama Mozambique Portuguese
Xidama Portugal Portuguese
Xidanakata Mozambique Portuguese
Xidzukudzuana Mozambique Portuguese
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