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ANGLER'S GUIDE TO FISHES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO!
This book is a given for recreational and commercial fishermen as well as anyone who loves the outdoors! Since most anglers identify their fish by reviewing illustrations rather than using scientific keys, the authors have succeeded in making fishing easier by providing superb illustrations and detailed diagnostics for fish identification. A valuable, one-stop reference tool for everyday anglers, fisheries experts, biologists, and outdoors writers, this guide includes intensively researched information on 207 species of saltwater fish, essential data on each species’ habitat, identification, typical size, and food value. By Jerald Horst & Mike Lane, illustrated by Duane Raver. 207 species. |
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| Other Names : | Sand Shark, Sandbar Shark | | Range & Habitat : | Common off of Florida and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico; less common elsewhere, but does occur. It can be found in coastal estuaries, but it never enters freshwater like the bull shark. It is a bottom-dwelling, coastal species, usually found over sandy or muddy bottoms, but can be found offshore in waters as deep as 650 feet deep. It is, however, most common in depths of less than 200 feet. | | Identification & Biology : | A confusing shark to identify, its diagnostic feature is its large first dorsal fin being located over its pectoral fins rather than slightly behind them as in the dusky shark. It can be differentiated from the bull shark by having a distinct ridge on its back between the dorsal fins. Color is widely variable, ranging through all shades of brown and gray above, becoming paler or whitish beneath. It is a bottom-feeding shark, specializing in flounders, rays, crabs, and snails. It uses shallow coastal lakes and bays as nursery areas to give birth to living young between March and July. The young sharks remain in these areas until the onset of cooler weather, when they move to deeper waters. | | Size : | Averages 50 to 100 pounds, although some may reach 200 pounds. | | Food Value : | None; it is a protected species. | | Description by: Jerald Horst, Associate Professor, Fisheries - LSU AgCenter |
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