Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, life history and habitat characteristics

Northeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.)

"The bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Figure 1), ranges in the western North Atlantic from Nova Scotia and Bermuda to Argentina, but it is rare between southern Florida and northern South America (Robins et al. 1986). They travel in schools of like-sized individuals and undertake seasonal migrations, moving into the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) during spring and south or farther offshore during fall. Within the MAB they occur in large bays and estuaries as well as across the entire continental shelf. Juvenile stages have been recorded from all estuaries surveyed within the MAB, but eggs and larvae occur in oceanic waters (Able and Fahay 1998). Bluefish growth rates are fast and they may reach a length of 1.1 m (3.5 ft) and a weight of 12.3 kg (27 lbs) (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). They live to ages 12 and greater (Salerno et al. 2001). A bimodal size distribution of young-of-the-year (YOY) bluefish during the summer in the New York Bight suggests that there are two spawning events along the east coast. Recent studies suggest that spawning is a single, continuous event, but that young are lost from the middle portion resulting in the appearance of a split season. As a result of the bimodal size distribution of juveniles, young are referred to as the spring-spawned cohort or summer-spawned cohort in the habitat discussion and distribution maps presented below"--Intro.

Technical Memorandum

Atlantic Coast (U.S.)

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)