Bonefish

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Species of fish

title: "Bonefish" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["albuliformes", "fish-of-the-caribbean", "fish-described-in-1758", "animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus", "fish-of-aruba", "marine-fish-of-nicaragua"] description: "Species of fish" topic_path: "general/albuliformes" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonefish" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of fish ::

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| image = Bonefish Albula vulpes.jpg | status = NT | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = | genus = Albula | species = vulpes | authority = (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonyms_ref = | synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true|title=Species | Esox vulpes Linnaeus, 1758 | Vulpis vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) | ?Albula lacustris Walbaum, 1792 | Albula conoryncha Bloch & Schneider, 1801 | Clupea brasiliensis Bloch & Schneider, 1801 non Steindachner, 1879 | Albula plumieri Bloch & Schneider, 1801 | Amia immaculata Bloch & Schneider, 1801 | Clupea macrocephala Lacépède, 1803 | Conorynchus macrocephalus (Lacépède, 1803) | ?Butyrinus bananus Lacepède, 1803 | Glossodus forskalii Spix & Agassiz, 1829 | Engraulis bahiensis Spix, 1829 | Engraulis serica Spix, 1829 | Albula parrae Valenciennes, 1847 | Albula goreensis Valenciennes, 1847 | Esunculus costai Kaup, 1856 | Vulpis bahamensis Catesby, 1771 | Albulas gronovii Walbaum, 1792 | Albula rostrata Gronow, 1854 | ?Albula unbarana Marcgrave ex de Castelnau, 1855

The bonefish (Albula vulpes) or bananafish is the type species of the bonefish family (Albulidae), the only family in order Albuliformes.

Taxonomy

Bonefish were once believed to be a single species with a global distribution, however 11 different species (all morphologically indistinguishable from each other) have since been identified. There are 3 identified species in the Atlantic and 8 in the Pacific, and Albula vulpes is the largest and most widespread of the Atlantic species.

Distribution

The bonefish inhabits warm subtropical and tropical waters of the western Atlantic, and is found off the coasts of southern Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, and around the West Indies.

Description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Albula_vulpes_scales.jpg" caption="Scales of ''A. vulpes''"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Albula_vulpes_head.jpg" caption="Bonefish head"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Bonefish.png" caption="Illustration"] ::

The bonefish weighs up to 17 lb and measures up to 31 in long. The color of bonefish can range from very silver sides and slight darker backs to olive green backs that blend to the silver side. Slight shading on the scales often leads to very soft subtle lines that run the flank of the fish from the gills to the tail. The bases of the pectoral fins are sometimes yellow.

The bonefish can live up to 20 years but reach sexual maturity at merely 2 to 3 years of age (when it is over 17 in long). Larvae drift for an average of 53 days, and juveniles often live over open sandy bottoms.

Behavior

An amphidromous species, the bonefish lives in inshore tropical waters and moves onto shallow mudflats or sand flats to feed with the incoming tide. Adults and juveniles may shoal together, and mature adults may be found singly or in pairs.

The bonefish feeds on benthic worms, fry, crustaceans, and mollusks and may be seen around edges, drop-offs, and clean, healthy seagrass beds, as these locations yield abundant small prey such as crabs and shrimp. It may follow stingrays to catch the small animals they scare out of the substrate.

In the Los Roques archipelago, bonefish primarily hunt glass minnows, however this behavior is atypical.

Relationship with humans

Fishing

The bonefish is considered to be one of the premier fly and light tackle game fish. Fishing for bonefish, called bonefishing, is a popular sport in many places including the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and southern Florida. Since the bonefish lives in shallow inshore water, fishing may be done by wading or from a shallow-draft boat. Bonefishing is mostly done for sport, so the fish caught is released, but it may also be eaten in less developed areas.Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Frommer's Bahamas, 20th edition, 2012, , p. 27.

The bonefish is notoriously wary, and great skill must be taken both in approach and presentation when fishing for them. English-speaking fishermen often refer to them as "grey ghosts".

As food

A typical Bahamian recipe is a split fish seasoned with pepper sauce and salt, then baked.

References

References

  1. Adams, A.. (2012). "''Albula vulpes''".
  2. "Albulidae".
  3. (2017). "Albulidae".
  4. "Common Names List - Albula vulpes".
  5. {{FishBase. (2007)
  6. (7 May 2014). "Catch Bonefish with Lures". Sport Fishing Magazine.
  7. (24 December 2014). "All About Bonefish". Salt Water Sportsman.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

albuliformesfish-of-the-caribbeanfish-described-in-1758animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeusfish-of-arubamarine-fish-of-nicaragua