MARINE BAITFISH

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SCALED SARDINE pilchard, whitebait Frank Sargeant Harengula jaguana (Family Clupeidae, herrings, shads and sardines) Several species of sardine look similar to the scaled sardine. Scaled sardines are brassy colored dorsally and solid silver on the sides. The dorsal side is blue-black with faint lateral streaks. The ventral side is lighter in color and silvery. A dark ‘shoulder’ spot just posterior to the gill cover is present, although it may be faint in some individuals. Range: Scaled sardines are distributed in the western Atlantic, from New Jersey, through the Caribbean to Brazil. Harengula jaguana co-occurs with six species of Harengula throughout its range, and it is often confused with H. clupeola with which it co-occurs over most of its range. Habitat: These species are wide ranging and are found in shallow water up to 60 feet (18 m) in depth. They are found inshore around grass flats and structures like bridges and offshore around markers, reefs, and wrecks. Size: Average 4 inches (10 cm), maximum 8 inches (20 cm) Bait use: Used inshore and offshore as live bait for bottom fishing. Aquaculture potential: Little is known about the reproductive biology or aquaculture potential for scaled sardines. They are rarely found in bait shops, largely because they are susceptible to handling stress, but are commonly caught in the wild by anglers. Thus, they may be readily accepted by bait retailers. Females spawn at about 5 inches (12.5 cm) during the months of February–October in deep water 50–100 feet (15–30 m). Larvae reach approximately 0.6 inches (15 mm) in 20 days post hatch. Scaled sardines grow rapidly reaching a length of 1.6 inches (4 cm) the first year. 19
ATLANTIC THREADFIN threadfin herring, greenies, greenback, horse minnow, hairy back, grassy back, shiner, thread, (machuelo–Spanish) NOAA Opisthonema oglinum (Family Clupeidae, herrings, shads and sardines) Threadfin have a rotund body, a deeply curved belly, and a pointed head. Their common name refers to the long ray that trails from the back of their lone dorsal fin like a piece of thread. They are silver with bluish or greenish sides and a dark spot above their gills and another dark spot behind, which is often followed by an entire row of dark spots. Six or seven streaks are present along their sides. Range: Found from Cape Cod to Florida along the Atlantic coast (infrequent north of North Carolina), Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean and along the Caribbean coast of Central America to Venezuela. Habitat: Atlantic threadfin are nearshore, pelagic fish that form dense surface schools in tropical and subtropical waters. They feed on plankton, but occasionally consume small fish and crustaceans. Size: Average 6 inches (15 cm), maximum 12 inches (30 cm) Bait use: Threadfin are sensitive to over-crowding, and they are usually caught by cast net. They are used live or as cut bait for bottom fishing. Aquaculture potential: Spawning occurs during the summer months from late March to September. Pelagic eggs are 0.04–0.05 inches (1–1.3 mm) in diameter and hatch after about 62 hours at 75°F (24°C). Little is known about threadfin culture. 20
Page 1 and 2: growing MARINE BAITFISH A guide to
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS 2 Croaker Micropogonias un
Page 5 and 6: CROAKER hardhead, chut, king billie
Page 7 and 8: (pinfish cont.) Range: Pinfish inha
Page 9 and 10: (killifish cont.) Aquaculture poten
Page 11 and 12: (pigfish cont.) Aquaculture potenti
Page 13 and 14: (striped mullet cont.) Aquaculture
Page 15 and 16: BALLYHOO balao, halfbeak, ‘hoo Fl
Page 17 and 18: (mojara cont.) mm) in length and be
Page 19 and 20: (round scad cont.) Range: Found onl
Page 21: ATLANTIC MENHADEN pogy, mossbunker,
Page 25 and 26: TOMTATE grunt, spot-tail, red mouth
Page 27 and 28: BAY ANCHOVY glass minnow, silversid
Page 29 and 30: (references cont.) Pigfish Oesterli
Page 31 and 32: (references cont.) Atlantic Threadf
Page 33 and 34: (example of marine baitfish culture

MARINE BAITFISH

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