Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish - Macaw Pets store

Bonefish (continued)
tocephalus larval stage. It grows to about 2 1 ⁄2 inches long
during this period, then experiences a metamorphosis that
shrinks the young bonefish to half that size. The fins begin
to appear during the shrinking, and in 10 to 12 days it
attains the adult bonefish body form, only in miniature size.
This growth process is similar in tarpon and ladyfish development.
The young migrate out to the open sea to live on
plankton, returning as juveniles to live in the shallows.
Generally, bonefish are a schooling fish; smaller specimens
are seen traveling in large numbers on the flats,
whereas larger ones prefer smaller schools or groups of 5 to
10 fish.
Food and feeding habits. Bonefish feed on crabs, shrimp,
clams, shellfish, sea worms, sea urchins, and small fish. They
prefer feeding during a rising tide, often doing so near mangroves.
They root in the sand with their snouts for food and
are often first detected while feeding with their bodies tilted
in a head-down, tail-up manner, with all or part of their tail
fins protruding from the surface. These are referred to as
tailing fish. Bonefish also sometimes stir up the bottom
when rooting along, which is called mudding; this can be a
telltale indicator to the observant angler.
Bonefish 45