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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 : | Oilfish, White Tuna, Escolar | | Range & Habitat : | This is a truly open-water, pelagic species never found any shallower than 250 feet and usually deeper, to 700 feet deep. It is found Gulfwide. | | Identification & Biology : | In shape, this fish and its close relative the oilfish, resemble mackerel and tuna. Like tuna, they have small finlets located behind the dorsal and anal fins. The resemblance stops there. The escolar is uniformly dark brown in color, becoming almost black with age. The teeth are sharp and curved and the eye is large and golden-colored, with a black iris. It may be differentiated from the oilfish by its smooth scaled skin and the presence of 4 or 5 finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins compared to 2 for the oilfish.
This strange fish is almost never seen by recreational fishermen because of its preference for great depths at long distances from shore. It is often captured by commercial tuna fishermen. The escolar is a strong predator fish that eats other fishes, squids and crustaceans. | | Size : | Common to 60-80 pounds. | | Food Value : | Excellent, if properly prepared. This fish has an extremely high oil content, perhaps exceeded only by its close relative, the oilfish. It is a superb grilling fish and also is suitable for broiling. Its high oil content makes it very resistant to overcooking, compared to tuna. It is best grilled or broiled in steak form. The flesh is white. Prepared by methods such as frying, the fish is repugnant. | | Description by: Jerald Horst, Associate Professor, Fisheries - LSU AgCenter |
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