Fishes

These reef-dwelling fish are great at camouflage, using their mottled coloring and texture to sneak up on smaller fish and crustaceans and swallow them whole in one fast gulp. From short face and big eyes, to stout caudal (tail) fin,…

Distinguishing characteristics include a dark gray or green back and silvery-white below, with distinct round spots on back, fins and tail; black margin along the edge of tail; soft dorsal (back) fin with no scales; and one or two prominent…

Adults grow to a length of 9 to 19.5 inches. Distinguishing characteristics include an irregularly round, silvery body, dark bluish green back and dark longitudinal stripes on the sides, and a small mouth.

They are pale to silvery white on their belly and vermilion (orange-red)color on their sides and top. They have narrow, yellow-gold streaks (some horizontal and others diagonal) below the lateral line. Their back (dorsal) fin is rose-colored with a yellow…

Weakfish are dark olive-green on top and silvery below, burnished on the back and sides with purple, lavender, green, blue, golden or copper. The sides are flecked with dark blotches that form wavy lines running down and forward, but not…

The white grunt’s body is silver-gray with numerous blue and yellow stripes on the head and body. On some, the scales appear tipped with bronze. The pectoral fins are chalky and the other fins are gray. The lining of the body…

Whiting is a cod like fish with an elongate body and a small head with a protruding upper jaw and a truncate (flat) tail. Its dorsal side is blue/green fading to silvery/white on the belly with a small dark spot on…

With a maximum length of 30 inches and a maximum weight of 5 pounds, the yellowtail snapper is recognizable by the prominent bright yellow stripe running from the tip of the snout to the bright yellow and deeply forked caudal…

The pinfish is a member of the porgy family. It has a laterally compressed oval body, a steeply sloped dorsal head profile and a moderately large eye shape. There is a large humeral spot bisected by the lateral line, and a median brassy-yellow…

Red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico during the summer is a popular pastime for both experienced anglers and those new to the sport. The Gulf of Mexico is home to a large population of red snapper, and the…