Kate,
The fish is an Atlantic cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus). It belongs to the
family of Snake Mackerels (Trichiuridae) which also includes the Oilfish
(Ruvetus pretiosus) and Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum). Back in the
70's when I was living in Ft. Lauderdale, there was a year when they were
everywhere. We caught them on ballyhoo 5 miles offshore while driftfishing
for swordfish as well as in inshore brackish canals on topwater plugs
intended for jacks and snook. As suddenly as they arrived, they dissapeared;
we didn't catch them at all before or after this "run"...
Cheers,
Fred Stengard
Director of Research
Bama Sea Products, Inc.
St. Petersburg, FL.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kate Abraham [SMTP:kate@oceanfish.com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 2:23 PM
> To: Seafood Listserv
> Subject: Can you identify this fish?
>
> I'm passing on this query on behalf of one of our customers. Can you
> identify this fish ? It was snagged in the late summer of 1999 in the
> Chesapeake Bay. The body colour is described as "silver like mercury" and
> it has very sharp teeth.
> Thanks,
> Kate Abraham
> Quality Assurance Manager, Fresh/Frozen
> Ocean Fisheries Ltd. Vancouver BC
> Tel: (604) 254 9151
> Fax: (604) 254 8922
> e-mail kate@oceanfish.com <mailto:kate@oceanfish.com> << File:
> Photograph.jpg >>
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