March 9th, 2006 by Gillwetter Press
Family Scombridae, MACKERELS AND TUNAS
Description: color of back iridescent bluish green, sides silvery; streamlined body with tapered head; no black pigment on front of the first dorsal fin; lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin; young fish often have yellowish spots like those of Spanish mackerel.
Similar fish: cero, S. regalis; Spanish mackerel,. maculatus.
Where found: NEARSHORE and OFFSHORE; occasionally taken from piers runnin into deep water.
Size: common to 20 pounds.
Remarks: schooling fish that migrates from south Florida waters in winter to more northerly waters in spring; Gulf population thought to be separate from Atlantic population, with considerable mixing in winter from Cape Canaveral past Key West; spawns in mid summer OFFSHORE; feeds on small fish and squid.
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March 9th, 2006 by Gillwetter Press
Family Sphyraenidae, BARRACUDAS
Description: gray, with a greenish cast above, whitish below; many irregular, small black blotches on lower side; 18 to 22 diagonal dark bars on upper side (not always evident); caudal fin dark with white tips; 75 to 87 lateral line scales; no fleshy tip on jaw. Young (not shown): dark stripe on side; stripe breaks into dark squarish blotches as fish grows.
Size: to 2 m (6 ft.) and 48 kg (106 lbs.); reports of larger fish unverified.
Where Found: young live in inshore seagrass beds; adults range from inshore channel to open ocean.
Remarks: most attacks on people have occurred when they were wading or swimming in turbid water while wearing bright objects, attempting to spear a barracuda, or carrying speared fish; flesh of smaller fish apparently not poisonous, but larger fish sometimes very toxic due to ciguatera; no safe, reliable way of recognizing toxic fish.
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