NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-198

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Marine Fisheries Service

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Woods Hole, Massachusetts

June 2006

Essential Fish Habitat Source Document:

Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix,

Life History and Habitat Characteristics

Second Edition
180. Variability in Blood Chemistry of Yellowtail Flounder, Limanda ferruginea, with Regard to Sex, Season, and Geographic 

Location. By Renee Mercaldo-Allen, Margaret A. Dawson, Catherine A. Kuropat, and Diane Kapareiko. September 2003. vi + 

20 p., 1 fig., 10 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2004-107074.

181. Characterization of the Fishing Practices and Marine Benthic Ecosystems of the Northeast U.S. Shelf, and an Evaluation 

of the Potential Effects of Fishing on Essential Fish Habitat. By David Stevenson, Louis Chiarella, Dianne Stephan, Robert Reid, 

Kurt Wilhelm, John McCarthy, and Michael Pentony. January 2004. ix + 179 p., 34 figs., 83 tables. [Online publication only.]

182. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessments – 2003. By Gordon T. Waring, Richard M. Pace, 

Janeen M. Quintal, Carol P. Fairfield, and Katherine Maze-Foley, eds., Nicole Cabana, Phillip J. Clapham, Timothy V.N. Cole, 

Gregory L. Fulling, Lance P. Garrison, Aleta A. Hohn, Blair G. Maise, Wayne E. McFee, Keith D. Mullin, Debra L. Palka, Patricia

E. Rosel, Marjorie C. Rossman, Frederick W. Wenzel, and Amy L. Whitingham, contribs. May 2004. vii + 287 p., 47 figs., 58 

tables, 4 app., index. NTIS Access. No. PB2004-106431.

183. NOAA Fisheries Service's Large Marine Ecosystems Program: Status Report. By Kenneth Sherman, Peter Celone, and 

Sally Adams. July 2004. iv + 21 p., 11 figs., 4 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-102420.

184. A Large Marine Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management and Sustainability. By Frank J. Gable. August 2004. 

v + 84 p., 38 figs., 10 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-101435. [Online publication only.]

185. Revised and Updated Edition of F. Bruce Sanford's 1957 "Planning Your Scientific Research Paper." By Jon A. Gibson. 

August 2004. x + 36 p., 5 figs., 12 tables.

186. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Silver Hake, Merluccius bilinearis, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 

2nd ed. By Meredith C. Lock and David B. Packer. August 2004. v + 68 p., 28 figs., 6 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-101436. 

[Online publication only.]

187. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: American Plaice, Hippoglossoides platessoides, Life History and Habitat 

Characteristics. 2nd ed. By Donna L. Johnson. August 2004. vi + 72 p., 23 figs., 6 tables. [Online publication only.]

188. Northeast Regional Commercial Fishing Input-Output Model, by Scott R. Steinback and Eric M. Thunberg. NTIS Access 

No ________. April 2006. [Online publication only.]

189. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Sea Scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd ed. By Deborah R. Hart and Antonie S. Chute. September 2004. v + 21 p., 6 figs., 2 tables. NTIS Access. No. 

PB2005-104079. [Online publication only.]

190. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Atlantic Cod, Gadus morhua, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd 

ed. By R. Gregory Lough. November 2004. vi + 94 p., 27 figs., 5 tables, 1 app. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-101528. [Online 

publication only.]

191. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Northern Shortfin Squid, Illex illecebrosus, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd ed. By Lisa C. Hendrickson and Elizabeth M. Holmes. November 2004. v + 36 p., 13 figs., 1 table. NTIS Access. 

No. PB2005-101437. [Online publication only.]

192. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Atlantic Herring, Clupea harengus, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 

2nd ed. By David K. Stevenson and Marcy L. Scott. July 2005. vi + 84 p., 40 figs., 7 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-107567. 

[Online publication only.]

193. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Longfin Inshore Squid, Loligo pealeii, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd ed. By Larry D. Jacobson. August 2005. v + 42 p., 20 figs., 1 table. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-110684. [Online 

publication only.]

195. A Large Marine Ecosystem Voluntary Environmental Management System Approach to Fisheries Practices. By Frank 

J. Gable. December 2005. NTIS Access. No. PB____-______.

196. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd ed. By Jon K.T. Brodziak. December 2005. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-103439. [Online publication only.]

197. In preparation by authors.

Recent Issues in This Series:
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (ret.), Administrator

National Marine Fisheries Service

William T. Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Woods Hole, Massachusetts

June 2006

This series represents a secondary level of scientific publishing. All issues employ 

thorough internal scientific review; some issues employ external scientific review. 

Reviews are -- by design -- transparent collegial reviews, not anonymous peer reviews. 

All issues may be cited in formal scientific communications.

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-198

Postal Addresses: 1National Marine Fisheries Serv., 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 

 02543-1026 2

National Marine Fisheries Serv., 74 Magruder Rd., Highlands, NJ 07732

E-Mail Addresses: gary.shepherd@noaa.gov

 dave.packer@noaa.gov

Essential Fish Habitat Source Document:

Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix,

Life History and Habitat Characteristics

Second Edition

Gary R. Shepherd1 and David B. Packer2
Editorial Notes on "Essential Fish Habitat Source Documents"

Issued in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE Series

Editorial Production

For "Essential Fish Habitat Source Documents" issued in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE series, staff

of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC's) Ecosystems Processes Division largely assume the role of staff of

the NEFSC's Editorial Office for technical and copy editing, type composition, and page layout. Other than the four covers

(inside and outside, front and back) and first two preliminary pages, all preprinting editorial production is performed by,

and all credit for such production rightfully belongs to, the staff of the Ecosystems Processes Division.

Internet Availability and Information Updating

Each original issue of an "Essential Fish Habitat Source Document" is published both as a paper copy and as a Web

posting. The Web posting, which is in "PDF" format, is available at: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/habitat/efh.

Each issue is updated at least every five years. The updated edition will be published as a Web posting only; the

replaced edition(s) will be maintained in an online archive for reference purposes.

Species Names

The NMFS Northeast Region's policy on the use of species names in all technical communications is generally to

follow the American Fisheries Society's lists of scientific and common names for fishes (i.e., Nelson et al. 2004a

; Robins

et al. 1991b), mollusks (i.e., Turgeon et al. 1998c), and decapod crustaceans (i.e., Williams et al. 1989d), and to follow the

Society for Marine Mammalogy's guidance on scientific and common names for marine mammals (i.e., Rice 1998e).

Exceptions to this policy occur when there are subsequent compelling revisions in the classifications of species, resulting

in changes in the names of species.

a

Nelson, J.S.; Crossman, E.J.; Espinosa-Pérez, H.; Findley, L.T.; Gilbert, C.R.; Lea, R.N.; Williams, J.D. 2004. Common and scientific names

of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 6th ed. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 29; 386 p. b

Robins, C.R. (chair); Bailey, R.M.; Bond, C.E.; Brooker, J.R.; Lachner, E.A.; Lea, R.N.; Scott, W.B. 1991. World fishes important to

North Americans. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 21; 243 p. c

Turgeon, D.D. (chair); Quinn, J.F., Jr.; Bogan, A.E.; Coan, E.V.; Hochberg, F.G.; Lyons, W.G.; Mikkelsen, P.M.; Neves, R.J.; Roper, C.F.E.;

Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B.; Scheltema, A.; Thompson, F.G.; Vecchione, M.; Williams, J.D. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic

invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks. 2nd ed. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 26; 526 p. d

Williams, A.B. (chair); Abele, L.G.; Felder, D.L.; Hobbs, H.H., Jr.; Manning, R.B.; McLaughlin, P.A.; Pérez Farfante, I. 1989. Common

and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: decapod crustaceans. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 17;

77 p.

e

Rice, D.W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Soc. Mar. Mammal. Spec. Publ. 4; 231 p.
Page iii

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION 

One of the greatest long-term threats to the viability of 

commercial and recreational fisheries is the continuing 

loss of marine, estuarine, and other aquatic habitats.

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (October 11, 1996) 

The long-term viability of living marine resources 

depends on protection of their habitat. 

NMFS Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research 

(February 1998) 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (MSFCMA), which was reauthorized 

and amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act (1996), 

requires the eight regional fishery management councils 

to describe and identify essential fish habitat (EFH) in 

their respective regions, to specify actions to conserve 

and enhance that EFH, and to minimize the adverse 

effects of fishing on EFH. Congress defined EFH as 

“those waters and substrate necessary to fish for 

spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity.” 

The MSFCMA requires NOAA Fisheries to assist the 

regional fishery management councils in the 

implementation of EFH in their respective fishery 

management plans. 

NOAA Fisheries has taken a broad view of habitat 

as the area used by fish throughout their life cycle. Fish 

use habitat for spawning, feeding, nursery, migration, 

and shelter, but most habitats provide only a subset of 

these functions. Fish may change habitats with changes 

in life history stage, seasonal and geographic 

distributions, abundance, and interactions with other 

species. The type of habitat, as well as its attributes and 

functions, are important for sustaining the production of 

managed species. 

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center compiled 

the available information on the distribution, 

abundance, and habitat requirements for each of the 

species managed by the New England and Mid-Atlantic 

Fishery Management Councils. That information is 

presented in a series of EFH species reports (plus one 

consolidated methods report). The EFH species reports 

are a survey of the important literature as well as 

original analyses of fishery-independent data sets from 

NOAA Fisheries and several coastal states. The species 

reports are also the source for the current EFH 

designations by the New England and Mid-Atlantic 

Fishery Management Councils, and understandably are 

referred to as the “EFH source documents.” 

NOAA Fisheries provided guidance to the regional 

fishery management councils for identifying and 

describing EFH of their managed species. Consistent 

with this guidance, the species reports present 

information on current and historic stock sizes, 

geographic range, and the period and location of major 

life history stages. The habitats of managed species are 

described by the physical, chemical, and biological 

components of the ecosystem where the species occur. 

Information on the habitat requirements is provided for 

each life history stage, and it includes, where available, 

habitat and environmental variables that control or limit 

distribution, abundance, growth, reproduction, 

mortality, and productivity. 

The initial series of EFH species source documents 

were published in 1999 in the NOAA Technical 

Memorandum NMFS-NE series. Updating and review 

of the EFH components of the councils’ Fishery 

Management Plans is required at least every 5 years by 

the NOAA Fisheries Guidelines for meeting the 

Sustainable Fisheries Act/EFH Final Rule. The second 

editions of these species source documents were written 

to provide the updated information needed to meet 

these requirements. The second editions provide new 

information on life history, geographic distribution, and 

habitat requirements via recent literature, research, and 

fishery surveys, and incorporate updated and revised 

maps and graphs. This second edition of the Bluefish 

EFH source document is based on the original by 

Michael P. Fahay, Peter L. Berrien, Donna L. Johnson 

and Wallace W. Morse, with a foreword by Jeffrey N. 

Cross (Fahay et al. 1999). 

Identifying and describing EFH are the first steps 

in the process of protecting, conserving, and enhancing 

essential habitats of the managed species. Ultimately, 

NOAA Fisheries, the regional fishery management 

councils, fishing participants, Federal and state 

agencies, and other organizations will have to cooperate 

to achieve the habitat goals established by the 

MSFCMA.
Page iv 
Page v

Contents

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................................1

LIFE HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................................................1

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION ..................................................................................................................................3

HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................................................................................6

RESEARCH NEEDS ...........................................................................................................................................................8

REFERENCES CITED ........................................................................................................................................................9

Tables

Table 1. Dietary items of bluefish from several study areas ..........................................................................................14

Table 2. Sampling in 1979 for bluefish larvae in the Charleston Bump area.................................................................16

Table 3. Distribution of early life history stages of bluefish in estuaries from Maine to Florida...................................17

Table 4. Unpublished records of juvenile bluefish in waters of coastal Maine .............................................................19

Table 5. Summary of life history and habitat characteristics for bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix...................................21

Figures

Figure 1. The adult bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (from Goode 1884)..........................................................................22

Figure 2. The pelagic juvenile bluefish, 24.3 mm SL (from Able and Fahay 1998) .......................................................23

Figure 3. Distribution and abundance of eggs collected during MARMAP surveys in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. ............24

Figure 4. Distribution and abundance of larvae collected in the Mid-Atlantic Bight and South Atlantic Bight. ............26

Figure 5. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected with a bongo net in the South Atlantic Bight. .........27

Figure 6. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected in a neuston net in the South Atlantic Bight............29

Figure 7. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected during MARMAP surveys in the Mid-Atlantic 

Bight.................................................................................................................................................................31

Figure 8. Reported occurrences of juvenile bluefish along the east coast of the United States (Clark 1973) .................34

Figure 9. Abundance (number/tow) of young-of-the-year bluefish in seine and trawl surveys by state and by year......35

Figure 10. Distributions and abundances of juvenile bluefish in Massachusetts coastal waters .......................................36

Figure 11. Distributions and abundances of juvenile bluefish collected in Narragansett Bay...........................................37

Figure 12. Seasonal length frequency distributions of bluefish collected in Narragansett Bay during Rhode Island 

surveys ............................................................................................................................................................38

Figure 13. Relative abundance catch/tow and percent occurrence for juvenile and adult bluefish in Long Island Sound, 

by month, month and bottom type, and month and depth interval...................................................................39

Figure 14. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adult bluefish in Long Island Sound........................................40 

Figure 15. Monthly log10 length frequencies of juvenile and adult bluefish collected in Long Island Sound...................41 

Figure 16. Relative abundance catch/tow and percent occurrence for young-of-year bluefish in Long Island Sound, by 

month, month and bottom type, and month and depth interval........................................................................42 

Figure 17. Distributions and abundances of young-of-year bluefish in Long Island Sound. ............................................43 

Figure 18. Distributions and abundances of age 1+ bluefish in Long Island Sound. ........................................................44

Figure 19. Relative abundance catch/tow and percent occurrence for age 1+ bluefish in Long Island Sound, by month, 

month and bottom type, and month and depth interval....................................................................................45 

Figure 20. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile bluefish in the Hudson-Raritan estuary...............................46 

Figure 21. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile and adult bluefish in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries from 

the VIMS trawl surveys. ..................................................................................................................................47 

Figure 22. Seasonal distribution and abundance of bluefish in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries from the VIMS trawl 

surveys. ............................................................................................................................................................48 

Figure 23. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile bluefish in Chesapeake Bay from the VIMS seine surveys ...49 

Figure 24. Juvenile bluefish catch per unit effort by site from the VIMS beach seine surveys.........................................50 
Page vi 

Figure 25. Distribution and abundance of bluefish in the South Atlantic Bight collected during SEAMAP trawl 

surveys. ............................................................................................................................................................51 

Figure 26. Length frequency distribution of bluefish in the South Atlantic Bight collected during SEAMAP trawl 

surveys .............................................................................................................................................................52 

Figure 27. Monthly distribution, abundance, length frequency distribution of bluefish in the South Atlantic Bight........53 

Figure 28. Distributions and abundances of adult bluefish in Massachusetts coastal waters ............................................55 

Figure 29. Distributions and abundances of adult bluefish collected in Narragansett Bay................................................57 

Figure 30. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult bluefish in the Hudson-Raritan estuary....................................58 

Figure 31. Seasonal length frequency distributions used to determine size and age cutoffs in NEFSC surveys...............59 

Figure 32. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adults collected during winter NEFSC trawl surveys..............60 

Figure 33. Distributions and abundances of four size classes collected during spring NEFSC trawl surveys. .................62 

Figure 34. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adults collected during spring NEFSC trawl surveys. .............63 

Figure 35. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adults collected during summer NEFSC trawl surveys ...........65 

Figure 36. Distributions and abundances of four size classes collected during fall NEFSC trawl surveys.......................67 

Figure 37. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adults collected during fall NEFSC trawl surveys...................68 

Figure 38. Distributions of bluefish eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys relative to 

near-surface water column temperature and depth...........................................................................................70 

Figure 39. Distributions of bluefish larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys relative to 

near-surface water column temperature and depth...........................................................................................71 

Figure 40. Distributions of juvenile bluefish and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom water 

temperature, depth, and salinity .......................................................................................................................72 

Figure 41. Distributions of juvenile bluefish and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water 

temperature and depth. .....................................................................................................................................74 

Figure 42. Seasonal distributions of juvenile bluefish and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth based 

on Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys.............................................................................................75 

Figure 43. Distributions of juvenile bluefish relative to mean bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, and 

salinity, based on Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys.................................................................................76 

Figure 44. Hydrographic preferences for bluefish in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries from the VIMS trawl surveys......77 

Figure 45. Hydrographic preferences for juvenile bluefish from the VIMS seine surveys ...............................................78 

Figure 46. Distributions of adult bluefish and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom water 

temperature, depth, and salinity .......................................................................................................................79 

Figure 47. Distributions of adult bluefish and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water 

temperature and depth ......................................................................................................................................81 

Figure 48. Seasonal distributions of adult bluefish and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth based on 

Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys..................................................................................................83 

Appendices

Appendix 1. Bluefish habitat characteristics ......................................................................................................................84
Page 1

INTRODUCTION

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. 

LIFE HISTORY 

EGGS

Eggs from the MAB are pelagic and spherical with 

a diameter of 0.95-1.00 mm. They have a smooth, 

transparent shell and a homogeneous yolk. The single 

oil globule is 0.26-0.29 mm in diameter and the 

perivitelline space is narrow (Fahay 1983). Incubation 

times depend on temperature. At 18.0-22.2o

C, hatching 

occurs after 46-48 h (Deuel et al. 1966). Eggs from the 

South Atlantic Bight (SAB) have not been described. 

LARVAE AND PELAGIC-JUVENILES 

Larvae are 2.0-2.4 mm long when they hatch; the 

eyes are unpigmented and the mouth parts are 

undeveloped. Characteristic pigment includes parallel 

lines of melanophores along the dorsal fin base, body 

midline, and anal fin base. Teeth are well developed at 

4.3 mm and fin rays are complete at a size of about 13-

14 mm (Fahay 1983). Larvae rarely occur deeper in the 

water column than 15 m; most are concentrated at a 

depth of about 4 m during the day, but they are about 

equally distributed between that depth and the surface 

at night (Kendall and Naplin 1981). The bluefish 

transforms from a larva to a "pelagic-juvenile" stage 

that is specially adapted for an oceanic, near-surface 

existence after completion of fin ray development 

(Figure 2). This specialized stage is characterized by a 

silvery, laterally compressed body, with dark blue 

counter-coloration on the dorsum. This transition 

occurs at an age of 18-25 d and at a size of 10-12 mm 

SL (Hare and Cowen 1994). Scales begin to form at 

about 12 mm on the posterior part of the lateral line 

region, then proceed forward, until the head is 

completely scaled at about 37 mm (Silverman 1975). 

Swimming ability in many fish species dramatically 

improves during this transformation (e.g. Hunter 1981; 

Stobutzki and Bellwood 1994; Leis et al. 1996) and this 

improvement presumably applies to bluefish as well. It 

is during this stage that bluefish arrive at nursery areas 

in the central part of the MAB, after advection via the 

Gulf Stream from spawning areas in the SAB and after 

crossing the Slope Sea (Hare and Cowen 1996; Hare et

al. 2001) and the continental shelf (Cowen et al. 1993). 

Active larval migration across the shelf is believed to 

be aided by oceanographic features such as warm-core 

ring streamers and Gulf-Stream filaments (Hare et al.

2001), or Eckman transport (Munch and Conover 

2000). This transport (active or passive) is crucial to the 

recruitment of these progeny to vital estuarine nursery 

areas, and therefore this life history stage might be 

considered a critical bottleneck. 

JUVENILES (INCLUDING YOUNG-OFTHE-YEAR

Juveniles have a usual fish shape without unusual 

features. The caudal fin is forked and the body is 

somewhat laterally compressed, with a silvery, 

unpatterned color. The mouth is large and oblique and 

all fin spines are strong. Two distinct dorsal fins touch 

at their bases; the second dorsal fin is about the same 

length as the anal fin base (Able and Fahay 1998). The 

spring-spawned cohort is 60-76 d old with a mean size 

of 60 mm when they recruit to estuarine habitats in the 

MAB in late May to mid-June (McBride and Conover 

1991; Cowen et al. 1993). The summer-spawned cohort

either remains in coastal nursery areas (Kendall and 

Walford 1979; Able and Fahay 1998; Secor et al. 2002; 

Able et al. 2003) or enters estuarine nurseries in mid- to 

late August when they are 33-47 d old with a mean 

length of 46 mm (McBride and Conover 1991). 

Juveniles of both cohorts depart MAB estuaries and 

coastal areas in October and migrate to waters south of 

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. At this time, members 

of both cohorts range from 4-24 cm long (Able and 
Page 2 

Fahay 1998, Able et al. 2003). During most years, the 

spring-spawned cohort dominates in the emigrating 

young-of-the-year, although during the past decade, the 

summer-spawned cohort was dominant (Conover et al.

2003). 

ADULTS 

Adult bluefish are blue-green above, silvery below, 

moderately stout-bodied, and armed with stout teeth 

along both jaws. The snout is pointed and the mouth is 

large and oblique. The caudal fin is large and forked. 

The fin ray formulae are first dorsal: 7-9 spines; second 

dorsal: 1 spine and 23-26 rays; anal: 2-3 spines and 25-

28 rays. Vertebrae number 26. The maximum length is 

about 115 cm and maximum weights are 4.5-6.8 kg, 

although an occasional heavier fish has been taken. The 

maximum age is 12 years. The sex ratio is 1:1 for all 

age groups (Boreman 1982), although Lassiter (1962) 

reported a ratio of two females per male in North 

Carolina and Hamer (1959) found a ratio of three 

females to two males in New Jersey. 

REPRODUCTION

A seminal study, based largely on the distribution 

of eggs and larvae, concluded that there were two 

discrete spawning events in western Atlantic bluefish. 

The first occurs during March-May near the edge of the 

continental shelf of the SAB. The second occurs 

between June and August in the MAB (Kendall and 

Walford 1979). Recent studies have re-examined this 

conclusion and refined our knowledge of a complex 

reproductive pattern, and support the concept of a 

single, migratory spawning stock (Hare and Cowen 

1993; Smith et al. 1994). 

Sexual maturity and gonad ripening occur in early 

spring off Florida, early summer off North Carolina, 

and late summer off New York (Hare and Cowen 

1993). In the New York Bight, gonadosomatic studies 

indicate that both sexes are ripe or ripening between 

June and September with a strong peak in July 

(Chiarella and Conover 1990). Larvae re-occur in the 

SAB in the fall (Collins and Stender 1987) and there are 

also indications that gonads reach a second peak in 

ripeness in fish off Florida in September. Most bluefish 

are mature by age 2 (Deuel 1964). A recent study using 

histological methods indicates that bluefish are likely 

group-synchronous batch spawners (Reiss et al. 2002). 

In South Africa, individuals may spawn repeatedly over 

a period of 5-6 months (Van der Elst 1976), but there is 

no comparable information for the U.S. population. 

FOOD HABITS 

During their oceanic larval stage, bluefish 

primarily consume copepods. Fish begin to be included 

in their diet at sizes of 30 mm, and by 40 mm, fish are 

the major diet item. Soon after this shift in diet, 

juveniles migrate inshore to occupy estuarine habitats 

(Marks and Conover 1993). 

The results of several studies suggest that bluefish 

juveniles and adults eat whatever taxa are locally 

abundant (Table 1). The components of young-of-theyear bluefish diet in Sandy Hook Bay, New Jersey and 

the effects of those components on condition were 

studied over a three-year period (Friedland et al. 1988). 

Fish dominated the diet during 1981, while crustaceans 

and polychaetes were more important during 1983 and 

1984. Weight-length relationships indicated that weight 

at length was significantly greater in 1981 than in the 

other two years. Thus, not only does the quality of diet 

differ between estuaries, but the method of foraging 

may also differ; more benthic foraging was evident in 

bluefish from Sandy Hook Bay than in bluefish 

sampled in estuaries in Delaware (Grant 1962) and 

North Carolina (Lassiter 1962). In the Chesapeake Bay, 

oyster bar and reef habitats provide an important source 

of benthic prey, particularly during time periods when 

preferred small pelagic fish prey are less abundant 

(Harding and Mann 2001). Depending on age class, 

diets might change through a season. Spring spawned 

young-of-the-year prey on invertebrates such as small 

and shrimp in early summer when the preferred fish 

prey are less available (Juanes et al. 2001). In 

Chesapeake Bay, diets of three age classes differed 

through the summer (Table 1), but all three 

concentrated on Brevoortia tyrannus in the fall 

(Hartman and Brandt 1995a, b). 

In ocean habitats, young-of-the-year bluefish 

switch to piscivory with increasing size, similar to 

estuarine habitats. By 80-100 mm FL bay anchovy 

become the primary fish prey along ocean beaches in 

New Jersey (Able et al. 2003). Similar dietary patterns 

have been observed in juvenile bluefish utilizing ocean 

habitat in coastal Maryland (Secor et al. 2002) and 

throughout the MAB (Table 1). During offshore 

residence as larger adults, bluefish target larger 

schooling species of prey such as squids, clupeids and 

butterfish (Table 1) (Buckel et al. 1999). 

PREDATION 

Sharks, tunas, and billfishes are the only predators 

large and fast enough to prey on adult bluefish. They 

are a major component in the diet of shortfin mako 

shark, composing 77.5% of the diet by volume 

(Stillwell and Kohler 1982; Wood 2002). Stillwell and 
Page 3

Kohler (1982) estimated that this shark may consume 

between 4.3 and 14.5% of the bluefish resource 

between Georges Bank and Cape Hatteras. Bluefish 

also ranked fourth in number and occurrence and third 

in volume in swordfish diets, especially off the 

Carolinas (Stillwell and Kohler 1985). A study of 

bluefin tuna diet in New England ranked bluefish as 

one of the top prey items (Chase 2002). Blue sharks and 

sandbar sharks also prey on bluefish (Kohler 1988; 

Medved et al. 1985). Young-of-the-year are preyed 

upon by four oceanic bird species, the Atlantic puffin, 

Arctic tern, common tern, and roseate tern (Creaser and 

Perkins 1994; Safina et al. 1990). Cannibalism has only 

rarely been reported, but occurs in age 1 and older year 

classes in North Carolina (Lassiter 1962), and bluefish 

compose a minor component of the diet of larger 

bluefish collected during Northeast Fisheries Science 

Center (NEFSC) bottom trawl surveys on the 

continental shelf from the Gulf of Maine to Cape 

Hatteras [NEFSC food habits database; see Link and 

Almeida (2000) for details on methodology]. 

MIGRATIONS

Bluefish are warm water migrants and do not occur 

in MAB waters at temperatures < 14-16C (Bigelow 

and Schroeder 1953). They generally move north in 

spring-summer to centers of abundance in the New 

York Bight and southern New England and south in 

autumn-winter to the waters in the SAB as far as 

southeastern Florida. There is a trend for larger 

individuals to occur farther north during the summer 

(Wilk 1977). Larger adults may limit their southward 

migration and spend the winter on the outer part of the 

continental shelf of the MAB, culminating in an 

aggregation of fish near Cape Hatteras, NC by March. 

This winter distribution is suggested by the occurrence 

of bluefish in commercial catches as reported in vessel 

logbooks (Shepherd et al., in press). This conclusion is 

also supported by historical anecdotal evidence. One 

report witnessed a single fish landed from about 100 m 

deep off Martha’s Vineyard during mid-January 1950 

and several hauls of 80-640 kg from the vicinity of 

Hudson Canyon during early February of the same year 

(Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). Another study simply 

reported “boats engaged in the winter trawl fishery for 

fluke and scup along the outer margin of the continental 

shelf often bring in a few bluefish” (Hamer 1959). 

These reports have been perpetuated since (Lund 1961; 

Miller 1969; Lund and Maltezos 1970; Hardy 1978). 

Recent winter trawl surveys indicate the presence of 

bluefish in the MAB during winter near the shelf edge 

off Cape Hatteras (see Geographical Distribution). 

STOCK STRUCTURE 

The bluefish is presently managed as a single stock 

(MAFMC 1997). Although there is evidence of separate 

spawning events (see Reproduction), fish from these 

spawning groups mix extensively during their lives, and 

recent conclusions have ascertained that bluefish year 

classes are composed of seasonal cohorts (Chiarella and 

Conover 1990). Recent studies have re-examined this 

conclusion and refined our knowledge of a complex 

reproductive pattern, supporting the concept of a single, 

migratory spawning stock (Hare and Cowen 1993; 

Smith et al. 1994). A mitochondrial DNA study of 

spring- and summer-spawned bluefish also concluded 

that bluefish along the east coast of the United States 

comprise a single genetic stock (Graves et al. 1992). 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 

EGGS

Spring-spawned cohort: The spring spawning 

occurs near the edge of the continental shelf in the 

SAB. However, bluefish eggs have not been collected 

or identified from this region. 

Summer-spawned cohort: Eggs were collected 

from May to August over the MAB continental shelf 

during the NEFSC Marine Resources Monitoring, 

Assessment and Prediction (MARMAP) program 

surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for methods]. Bluefish 

eggs were most abundant in July (Figure 3). Eggs were 

distributed near Cape Hatteras in May and their 

occurrences expanded rapidly northward during the 

summer. In July, eggs were distributed as far as 

southern New England waters with a center of 

abundance off Delaware Bay and New Jersey (Berrien 

and Sibunka 1999). Eggs were not collected after 

August. Bluefish eggs do not occur in estuarine waters. 

During the NEFSC MARMAP surveys, eggs occurred 

across the entire shelf, but were most concentrated in 

mid-shelf depths (Berrien and Sibunka 1999). Eggs in 

the southern part of the MAB may be advected south 

and offshore; most (80%) eggs collected in a study off 

the Chesapeake Bay mouth were > 55 km from shore, 

with peak spawning occurring in the evening (Norcross 

et al. 1974). 

LARVAE 

The distribution of all larvae collected in the MAB 

and SAB is shown in Figure 4. There has been a critical 
Page 4 

lack of sampling in the area immediately south of Cape 

Hatteras.

Spring-spawned cohort: Our understanding of the 

distribution of larvae in the SAB (corresponding to the 

spring-spawned cohort) is limited. The NEFSC 

MARMAP ichthyoplankton program sampled there 

from 1973-1980; bluefish larvae generally were 

collected in low densities, both in water column 

sampling with bongo nets (Figure 5) or Isaacs-Kidd 

midwater trawls (Table 2), and at the surface with two 

types of neuston net (Figure 6). Most larvae occurred 

near the 200 m depth contour, placing them close to the 

Gulf Stream and presumably enhancing their chances of 

advection to the north as proposed by Kendall and 

Walford (1979), Powles (1981), and Hare and Cowen 

(1993, 1996). The collection of bluefish eggs in April 

and May is consistent with back-calculated birth dates 

determined from estuarine recruits in the New York 

Bight (NYB) (see Juveniles). The densest 

concentrations of larvae in NEFSC MARMAP cruises 

in the SAB occurred over the outer half of the 

continental shelf during April and May. Currents there 

flow toward the northeast and are affected by the Gulf 

Stream (Lee and Atkinson 1983), while on the inner 

shelf, wind-driven currents are important in affecting 

the drift of larvae (Powles 1981; Lee and Atkinson 

1983). A secondary concentration of larvae was 

detected during late summer/early fall of one year 

(1976) and may indicate the existence of an isolated 

spawning event (Figure 5). During 1979, all sampling 

was done by Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl and was 

restricted to the shelf area near Charleston, South 

Carolina between February and August (Table 2). 

Larvae were collected with this gear in low densities 

between February and mid-May; two tows in April 

yielded somewhat higher densities. 

Summer-spawned cohort: The distribution of 

larvae in the MAB is similar to that of the eggs (Figure 

7). Larvae < 11 mm (the size when they become 

pelagic-juveniles) first occurred near Cape Hatteras and 

along the shelf edge in the Wilmington Canyon area 

during May, and were present through the summer in 

increasing numbers throughout the southern and central 

parts of the MAB. Although larvae are only rarely 

collected in estuarine waters, they have been reported 

from a few large systems in the MAB; e.g., one larva, 

one occurrence in Narragansett Bay (Herman 1963) and 

several estuaries in New York/New Jersey (Table 3). 

During June, peak larval abundance occured between 

Cape Hatteras and Chesapeake Bay and off New Jersey. 

Larvae are most dense in the central part of the MAB in 

July and remain dense during August. Few larvae 

occurred in the MAB during September. Larvae rarely 

occurred deeper in the water column than 15 m and 

most are concentrated at a depth of about 4 m during 

the day, but are about equally distributed between that 

depth and the surface at night. Neuston sampling, 

therefore, is likely to drastically undersample bluefish 

when done during the day. 

PELAGIC-JUVENILES (LARVAL TO 

JUVENILE TRANSITION) 

There are no available data that adequately 

describe the distribution of this transformation stage in 

bluefish life history; however, limited observations 

have been made in the NYB (Shima 1989; Hare and 

Cowen 1996). These observations support the view that 

temperatures below 13-15o

C impede the progress of 

this stage into MAB estuaries. In early June, these 

pelagic-juveniles mass at the shelf-slope temperature 

front, and resume their inshore migration when that 

front dissipates (Hare and Cowen 1996). Transport of 

larvae and/or juveniles across the shelf-slope region 

may be aided by wind-driven surface flow (Munch and 

Conover 2000). 

JUVENILES

It is presently unknown if bluefish are "estuarine 

dependant" since the distribution of juveniles over the 

continental shelf has not been described. The 

distribution and relative abundance of juveniles has 

been documented for estuaries along the east coast of 

the United States (Table 3) and for estuaries in Maine 

(Table 4). In addition to estuaries, juvenile bluefish in 

the MAB utilize coastal oceanic habitats (Secor et al.

2002; Able et al. 2003). 

A survey of juvenile bluefish published in the early 

1970s (Clark 1973) noted that their distribution differed 

from historical observations (Figure 8). Bluefish were 

not observed south of Daytona Beach through the 

1970s, although juveniles were reported from estuaries 

as far south as Palm Beach, Florida in the early part of 

the century (Evermann and Bean 1898; Nichols 1913). 

This author also suggested that the apparent high 

densities of juveniles in certain regions (e.g., New 

Jersey and South Carolina) were due to greater 

sampling effort. Remaining enigmatic occurrences 

include those in the freshwaters of the upper 

Chesapeake Bay (Mansueti 1955; Lund 1961), although 

the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal may play a role in 

their presence there. 

Several young-of-the-year surveys (or surveys that 

adequately sample young stages) are conducted within 

MAB states (Figure 9). Several caveats pertaining to 

these results prevent these state data from being 

compared directly. Some surveys are conducted 

throughout the year, while others are limited in their 

seasonal extent, and the resultant densities are therefore 

unequal. Although most results are expressed as 

"number per tow," tow lengths and gear characteristics 

vary between states, thus making comparisons among 

state surveys difficult. Finally, the definition of 

"juvenile" can vary between states; in some cases, it is 
Page 5

based solely on length frequency distributions, in some 

cases it is based on an arbitrary length cutoff. In most 

states, all fish < 30 cm are considered juveniles, 

although in the Chesapeake Bay region, some of these 

could be age 1+ if they were collected early in the year 

(Munch 1997). 

Despite these caveats, certain trends are evident in 

the data. There are signs of strong year classes in each 

state data set, but these do not necessarily match 

temporally. In general, abundances are greater in states 

between Rhode Island and New Jersey, and 

considerably lower in states in the southern part of the 

MAB, further emphasizing the importance of the 

former. 

The distributions and abundances of juveniles in 

Massachusetts coastal waters, based upon the fall 

1978-2003 Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys, are 

shown in Figure 10 (none were found during the spring 

surveys). They were abundant south of Cape Cod, 

especially in Buzzards Bay. 

The seasonal distributions and abundances of 

juveniles (< 35 cm) in Narragansett Bay, based upon 

the 1990-1996 Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys, are 

shown in Figures 11 and 12. Juveniles were collected in 

summer and autumn. 

The distributions and abundances of both juvenile 

and adult bluefish in Long Island Sound from April to 

November 1984-1994, based on the Connecticut 

Fisheries Division bottom trawl surveys, are shown in 

Figures 13–19. The following description of bluefish 

distribution and abundance in Long Island Sound 

comes from Gottschall et al. (2000). 

Bluefish first appeared in the survey in May (7% 

occurrence), but were relatively rare until June when 

the occurred in 28% of samples (Figure 13D) and were 

taken throughout the Sound (Figure 14). Bluefish taken 

in May ranged from 40-76 cm, whereas in June they 

ranged from 24-78 cm (Figure 15) (Gottschall et al.

2000). 

Juveniles first appeared in the survey in July. They 

comprised 46% of the bluefish catch, but only appeared 

in 8.3% of samples (Figure 16D). Juvenile abundance 

increased quickly during summer – by August they 

comprised 94% of the catch and occurred in 63.1% of 

samples. During the summer period juveniles were 

primarily distributed on the Connecticut side of the 

Sound from New Haven to Norwalk (Figure 17), 

whereas adults appeared to be more abundant in the 

deeper portions of the Central and Western Basins 

(Figure 18 and 19C) (Gottschall et al. 2000). When 

abundance peaked in September (Figure 13A), bluefish 

were found throughout the Sound (93.3% occurrence), 

although about 93% of the bluefish taken were 

juveniles. While juvenile abundance decreased rapidly 

after September (Figure 19A), adult abundance 

increased to a peak in October before declining (Figure 

19A). By November, juveniles only comprised 60% of 

the bluefish catch, down from a high of 94% in 

September. The remaining bluefish in November were 

distributed throughout the Sound (Figure 14) 

(Gottschall et al. 2000). 

Most bluefish collected during surveys of the 

Hudson-Raritan estuary (1992-1997) were juveniles 

(Figure 20). There were no occurrences during winter, 

while in summer and fall, juveniles occurred throughout 

the area. The largest collections were made near 

navigation channels or in a basin near Graves End Bay. 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental 

Protection assessment survey samples coastal New 

Jersey inside state waters. Bottom trawling is conducted 

five times per year and bluefish are encountered 

primarily in August and October. The fish collected are 

juveniles and appear as two distinct length modes, 

presumably the result of the spring and summer 

cohorts. 

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) 

trawl surveys from 1988-1999 of Chesapeake Bay and 

its tributaries captured almost exclusively juveniles 

(Geer 2002). They were caught from May to 

November, with an increase in catch during October 

and November as juveniles began to migrate out of the 

Bay (Figure 21). Catches were concentrated in the 

main-stem of the Bay with some catches up the 

tributaries to near the freshwater interface (Figure 22). 

There was a clear southward movement towards the 

Bay mouth during the fall months (Figure 22) (Geer 

2002). 

The VIMS 1994-1999 beach seine surveys of 

Chesapeake Bay captured only juveniles during every 

month of sampling (May to October), with June and 

September being the peak months (Figure 23). 

Juveniles were captured throughout the brackish range 

of the survey, with highest catches occurring at the 

seaside sites and Bay mouth (Figure 24) (Brooks and 

Geer 2001; Geer 2002). 

The Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment 

Program (SEAMAP) surveys sampled the coastal 

region between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and 

Cape Canaveral, Florida [see Reid et al. (1999) for 

details]. After an initial several years when gear and 

methods were not standardized, methodology became 

synoptic and standardized between 1990 and 1996 

(Beatty and Boylan 1997; Boylan et al. 1998). Bluefish 

collected during the latter survey period are shown in 

Figure 25. Length frequencies of these collections 

indicate most were young-of-the-year or age 1 (Figure 

26). Information on distributions over the offshore 

portions of the SAB shelf are lacking for any size class. 

Monthly occurrences of these bluefish are shown in 

Figure 27. Occurrences decreased during spring, were 

at low levels during summer, and increased during 

October beginning in the northern part of the bight, 

which suggests an influx of migrating young-of-theyear from the MAB. 
Page 6 

ADULTS 

The distributions and abundances of adults in 

Massachusetts coastal waters, based upon the spring 

and fall 1978-2003 Massachusetts inshore trawl 

surveys, are shown in Figure 28. During spring, a few 

adults were found south of Cape Cod in the vicinity of 

Nantucket and Vineyard sounds and in Buzzards Bay. 

They were slightly more abundant in the fall; a few 

were also found in Cape Cod Bay. 

Adults were rarely collected during summer and 

autumn in a survey of Narragansett Bay (Figures 29 and 

12). 

The distribution and abundance of both adults and 

juveniles in Long Island Sound were discussed 

previously (Gottschall et al. 2000). 

Very few adults were collected in the HudsonRaritan estuary and Sandy Hook Bay. There were no 

occurrences during winter and only a few adults were 

collected during spring and summer (Figure 30). 

JUVENILES AND ADULTS 

Bluefish are migratory and their distribution varies 

seasonally and according to age and size of individuals 

composing schools. Length frequencies of trawlcollected bluefish were examined to determine age and 

size composition of catches in the NEFSC bottom trawl 

surveys (Figure 31). Modes were separable into 

spawning cohorts and year classes based on published 

studies and are the bases for the NEFSC distribution 

and abundance maps. 

The distribution of all lengths during all seasons of 

the NEFSC surveys indicates that bluefish occurred 

most densely along the coast of the MAB and through 

the central part of Georges Bank, although these results 

may reflect the increased efficiency of the trawl in 

shallower waters. Winter occurrences during the 

NEFSC surveys were limited to the outer continental 

shelf near Cape Hatteras and these few occurrences 

were larger fish [Figure 32; note that winter and 

summer distributions are presented as presence data 

only, precluding a discussion of abundances, see Reid 

et al. (1999) for details]). NEFSC spring collections 

included spring-spawned young-of-the-year off North 

Carolina, spring-spawned age 1 restricted to coastal 

areas south of Cape Hatteras, age 2 individuals along 

the continental shelf edge off North Carolina, and older 

year classes distributed between Cape Hatteras and the 

Delmarva Peninsula (Figure 33). Figure 34 shows the 

NEFSC spring distributions and abundances separated 

into juvenile (< 30 cm) and adult (> 30 cm) size classes. 

In summer, juveniles were widely distributed along 

the coast from New York to Cape Hatteras. Adults were 

less concentrated along the Mid-Atlantic coast, 

occurring mostly along Long Island, offshore south of 

Cape Cod, and on Georges Bank (Figure 35). NEFSC 

fall surveys are most important for measuring relative 

year-class strength. Young-of-the-year of both springand summer-spawned cohorts and age 1 individuals 

were abundant along the coast between Long Island and 

Cape Hatteras. Older year-classes were also found 

offshore in southern New England and on Georges 

Bank (Figure 36). Figure 37 shows the fall distributions 

and abundances separated into juvenile and adult size 

classes.

HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS 

The habitat characteristics for eggs, larvae, pelagicjuveniles, juveniles, and adults based on results of this 

compendium and pertinent published reports are 

presented in Table 5. Included are observations of 

habitat use by young-of-the-year in estuaries. When 

studies of juvenile abundance have been related to 

environmental variables, such as eelgrass 

presence/absence or a substrate type, they have usually 

been conducted with seines where catch-per-unit-ofeffort is difficult to establish. Comparing the results of 

these studies between locations is usually not possible, 

and further details of essential habitats are therefore not 

yet available. Appendix 1 contains more complete data 

from various studies reported in the literature. 

EGGS

Bluefish eggs were collected at near-surface 

temperatures ranging from about 8-26°C during the 

NEFSC MARMAP surveys in the months from May to 

August (Figure 38). During May, 100% of the eggs 

were found at 22°C, while in June they were found 

from 13-22°C, with the majority at 13 and 17°C. In 

July, most were caught over a range of 14-26°C, while 

in August the majority of eggs were found at 22°C. 

Their depth range during those months was confined 

mostly from 30-70 m, with the majority at 30 m. 

LARVAE AND PELAGIC JUVENILES 

Larvae in the MAB occur in open oceanic waters, 

near the edge of the continental shelf in the southern 

Bight and over mid-shelf depths farther north (Norcross 

et al. 1974; Kendall and Walford 1979). They migrate 

vertically in the water column, occurring near the 

surface at night, but centered at about 4 m during 

daylight (Kendall and Naplin 1981). Larvae spawned in 
Page 7

the SAB (spring-spawned cohort) are subject to 

advection north via the Gulf Stream (Hare and Cowen 

1996; Kendall and Walford 1979), but some recruit 

successfully to estuaries in the SAB (Collins and 

Stender 1987; McBride et al. 1993). 

During NEFSC MARMAP sampling from May to 

September, most larvae were collected at surface 

temperatures between 17-26C and were concentrated 

over water depths of about 30-70 m (Figure 39). 

The transport of pelagic-juveniles was outlined by 

Kendall and Walford (1979) and elaborated by Hare 

and Cowen (1996). Many are found in the vicinity of 

Cape Hatteras as early as April. In May, several have 

been collected on the shelf in the SAB (Fahay 1975; 

Kendall and Walford 1979). By June, they occur in the 

MAB between the shore and the shelf/slope front, 

actively crossing the shelf (Hare and Cowen 1996). In 

both the SAB and MAB, there is a strong negative 

correlation between fish size and depth indicating an 

offshore origin and onshore migration with growth. 

Transport of larvae and/or juveniles across the shelfslope region may be aided by wind-driven surface flow 

(Munch and Conover 2000). 

Limited observations on pelagic-juveniles by 

Shima (1989) and Hare and Cowen (1996) have been 

made in the New York Bight. These observations 

support the view that temperatures below 13-15o

C

impede the progress of this stage into MAB estuaries. 

In early June, these pelagic-juveniles mass at the shelfslope temperature front, and resume their inshore 

migration when that front dissipates (Hare and Cowen 

1996). 

JUVENILES (INCLUDING YOUNG-OFTHE-YEAR)

Juveniles occur in estuaries, bays, and the coastal 

ocean of the MAB and SAB, where they are less 

common. They occur in many habitats, but do not use 

the marsh surface. The range of physical and structural 

conditions in which they are found is summarized in 

Table 5. Juveniles begin to depart MAB estuaries in 

October and migrate south to spend the winter months 

south of Cape Hatteras. 

The spring and fall distributions of juvenile 

bluefish (< 30 cm) relative to bottom water 

temperature, depth, and salinity based on 1963-2003 

NEFSC bottom trawl surveys from the Gulf of Maine to 

Cape Hatteras are shown in Figure 40. In the spring, 

they were found over a temperature range of 8-23°C, 

with most spread between about 10-19°C. They were 

found at shallow depths ranging from 1-40 m, with the 

majority at 1-30 m. Their salinity range was between 

33-36 ppt, with a peak in occurrence and catch at 33 

ppt. In the fall, the juveniles were spread over a 

temperature range of 10-28°C, with most between 

about 17-25°C. They were also found at shallow depths 

of 1-50 m, with > 60% found at 11-20 m. Their salinity 

range was between 29-35 ppt, with the majority at 31-

32 ppt. 

The autumn distributions of juvenile bluefish in 

Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water 

temperature and depth based on 1978-2003 

Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys are shown in 

Figure 41. Juveniles were collected at temperatures 

ranging from about 9-22°C, with the majority between 

16-21°C. They were found over depths of 6-45 m, with 

most at 6-15 m. 

The seasonal distributions of juvenile bluefish 

relative to bottom water temperature and depth based 

on 1990-1996 Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl 

surveys are shown in Figure 42. The few juveniles that 

were caught were found in waters from 19-25oC in 

summer and 17-23oC in autumn. The majority were 

found at 22oC in summer and 19oC in the autumn. In 

summer their depth range was from 10-70 ft (3-21 m) 

and in the autumn it was from about 20-110 ft (6-34 m). 

Most were caught at 20-30 (6-9 m) in summer and 20-

50 ft (6-15 m) in the autumn. 

The distributions and abundances of juveniles in 

Long Island Sound relative to depth and bottom type, 

based on the Connecticut Fisheries Division bottom 

trawl surveys (Gottschall et al. 2000), are shown in 

Figures 13, 16, and 19. Juvenile abundance was highest 

in depths between 9-27 m over mud bottom in several 

broad areas in the Sound: the Connecticut side from 

New Haven to Mattituck. Adult abundance was also 

high in some these areas, but in contrast with juveniles, 

abundance tended to generally increase with depth in 

September, and in October abundance was similar in 

depths > 9 m (Figure 19C) (Gottschall et al. 2000). 

The distributions of juvenile bluefish relative to 

bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, and 

salinity based on 1992-1997 NEFSC Hudson-Raritan 

estuary trawl surveys are shown in Figure 43. Over the 

entire survey, juveniles were found in waters ranging 

from 12-24oC, with a peak catch of 45%at 21oC. They 

were found in dissolved oxygen levels of 5-9 mg/l, with 

50% of the catch at 6 mg/l. They were found over a 

depth range of 15-65 ft (5-20 m), with over 40% found 

at 20 ft (6 m) and at about 30% found at 40-45 ft (12-14 

m). Juveniles were found in salinities ranging from 19-

32 ppt, with peaks at 20, 24-26, and at 29 ppt. 

The hydrographic preferences of bluefish (almost 

exclusively juveniles) in Chesapeake Bay and 

tributaries from the 1988-1999 VIMS trawl surveys are 

shown in Figure 44 (all years and months combined). 

According to Brooks and Geer (2001) and Geer (2002), 

bluefish prefer salinities > 16 ppt and depths between 8-

10 m. There appears to be two peaks associated with 

water temperature, one between 14-18oC, and the 

second at 22-26oC. Most were found where dissolved 

oxygen levels were 6-9 mg/l. The hydrographic 

preferences of juveniles caught in the 1994-1999 seine 

surveys are shown in Figure 45 (all years and months 
Page 8 

combined) (Geer 2002). Although captured throughout 

the sampling range, nearly 90% occur in waters > 18 

ppt. Dissolved oxygen is rarely a problem in shallow 

waters of the Bay (Geer 2002), but the juveniles 

occurred more at dissolved oxygen levels of 6-8 mg/l. 

Most juveniles occur at temperatures > 20oC, with the 

majority between 24-26oC. The majority were found at 

a pH of 8.2. 

ADULTS 

Adult bluefish occur in the open ocean, large 

embayments, and most estuarine systems within their 

range. Although they occur in a wide range of 

hydrographic conditions, they prefer warmer 

temperatures and are not found in the MAB when 

temperatures decline below 14-16o

C. See Table 5 for a 

summary of habitat requirements of adult bluefish. 

The spring and fall distributions of adult bluefish 

relative to bottom water temperature, depth, and salinity 

based on NEFSC bottom trawl surveys are shown in 

Figure 46. In the spring, they were found over a 

temperature range of 8-20°C, with most spread between 

about 9-16°C. They were found at much deeper depths 

than the juveniles; they were spread over a depth range 

of 1-400 m. Their salinity range was between 33-36 

ppt, with the majority at 35 ppt. In the fall, the adults 

were spread over a temperature range of 8-28°C, with 

most spread between about 14-24°C. They were also 

found at shallower depths than in the spring: 1-100 m, 

with most found at 11-30 m. Their salinity range was 

between 29-35 ppt, with the majority at 31-32 ppt. 

The spring and autumn distributions of adults in 

Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water 

temperature and depth are shown in Figure 47. The few 

that were caught in the spring were found in a 

temperature range of 10-14°C, with a depth range of 6-

25 m. In the fall, their temperature range was from 10-

22°C, with most between 17-20°C. Their depth range 

during that season was from about 6-40 m, with the 

majority at 6-15 m. 

The distributions of the few adults found during 

summer and fall in Narragansett Bay relative to bottom 

water temperature and depth are shown in Figure 48. 

They were collected in bottom water temperatures of 

15-26o

C during summer and 17-21oC in autumn, and 

depths of 10-70 ft (3-21 m) in summer and 10-110 ft (3-

34 m) in autumn. 

RESEARCH NEEDS 

LIFE HISTORY AND BIOLOGY 

We lack information on the reproductive biology of 

bluefish. Observed patterns of spawning may be based 

on the population level rather than on information on 

individual reproductive traits. We presently do not 

know whether individuals spawn serially, and if so, 

how many times they are capable of spawning in a year. 

We also do not know if these reproductive 

characteristics vary with age. It is apparent that more 

study of the distribution of older stages needs to be 

correlated with spawning events. Since bluefish school 

in like-sized (and supposedly like-aged) groups, we 

need to know what groups are where and when, and 

how those aggregations are associated with the 

observed densities of eggs. Simply describing how 

many spawning events are occurring can not solve the 

issue of the number of manageable stocks. 

Our understanding of the "pelagic-juvenile" stage 

is limited despite its obvious importance. We need to 

better understand the details of transport mechanisms 

that provide progeny of reproduction in the SAB to 

nurseries in the MAB. Increased sampling of the 

neuston or near-surface layers of the ocean between 

production areas and estuarine nursery areas, associated 

with appropriate oceanographic observations, would 

provide much-needed insight into factors affecting 

transport and estuarine recruitment. 

There has been a tight correlation between 

population size and the contribution of the springspawned cohort to fall trawl collections in the last three 

decades. Yet our knowledge of reproduction in the SAB 

is limited to a brief, under-sampled period in the 1970s 

when the population was at a relatively low level of 

abundance. Furthermore, larvae produced in June in the 

southern part of the MAB appear not to survive [unless 

recruits to Maine estuaries result from this output, see 

Creaser and Perkins (1994)], the fate of the remaining 

MAB summer offspring remains enigmatic. 

There is some evidence for spawning during the 

fall in the Cape Canaveral region of Florida that 

appears to be discrete, rather than a continuation of 

spawning in the MAB. This evidence has been 

demonstrated in this document with larval occurrences 

and a disjunct autumn distribution of fish between 26 

and 40 cm. Hare and Cowen (1993) present 

gonadosomatic data that suggest the same thing. 

Admittedly, some of this evidence is weak and based on 

incomplete sampling, and should be improved to 

determine the origin of these spawning fish, the 

magnitude of spawning, and the fate of any progeny. 
Page 9

HABITAT REQUIREMENTS 

It is obvious from a review of the literature that we 

lack data to address the habitat issue at EFH 

information Level 3 (i.e.; data on habitat-related 

growth, reproduction, and/or survival by life history 

stage, as defined in the EFH Technical Manual 

[NMFS/OHC 1998] and Final Rule to implement the 

EFH policy [Department of Commerce, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2002]). 

Assessing how characteristics of habitat might affect 

the quality of young-of-the-year is therefore not 

feasible. Results of biological sampling, in estuaries or 

continental shelf waters, only rarely report specific 

characteristics of sampling sites. Therefore, data 

accruing from these studies are likely to be limited to 

EFH information Level 1; i.e., “presence/absence” data 

only (as defined in NMFS/OHC [1998] and Department 

of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration [2002]). According to Miller (1984): 

“We need a reasonable schema of estuaries, 

emphasizing the factors that have the most significance 

to the fish. Unfortunately, the necessary physical data 

are often lacking for an accurate characterization. Many 

are also temporally unstable. Not even our attempts to 

classify estuaries recognize their dynamic nature...we 

need more complete descriptions of how biologically 

relevant abiotic factors within estuaries affect 

biologically relevant scales of time and space. Without 

this, we cannot hope to untangle the biological 

processes or to compare results from different estuaries. 

Biologists need to involve more physical 

oceanographers and meteorologists in our research.” 

Clearly, in the future, more attention needs to be paid to 

the details of collecting sites, and habitat research 

supported, such that the linkages between habitat 

quality and year class success can be made. 

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Hook Lab. Tech. Ser. Rep. 11: 1-56. 

Wood, A.D. 2002. Predator-prey between mako sharks 

(Isurus oxyrinchus) and bluefish (Pomatomous 

saltatrix). Abstract from American Fisheries 

Society symposium on the biology, ecology, and 

life history of bluefish, AFS 132nd Annual 

Meeting, August 18-22, 2002, Baltimore MD. 
Page 14

Table 1. Dietary items of bluefish from several study areas. 

Source Life History Stage and 

Study Location Diet Items (in order of importance) 

Texas Instruments 

Incorporated 

(1976) 

Young-of-the-year, Hudson 

River (tidal) 

Anchoa mitchilli (dominated diet through summer), 

Clupeidae, Microgadus tomcod, Alosa sapidissima, Notropis 

hudsonius, Cyprinodontidae 

Festa (1979) 11-20 cm, Little Egg 

Harbor estuary, NJ 

Fundulus spp., Atherinidae, Anchoa spp., Callinectes sapidus, 

Brevoortia tyrannus, Crangon septemspinosa

Friedland et al.

(1988) 

Juvenile, Sandy Hook, NJ 1981: Teleosts, Crustacea, Polychaeta 

1982: Crustacea, Teleostei, Polychaeta 

1983: Crustacea, Teleostei, Polychaeta 

(weight at length significantly greater in 1981) 

Hartman and 

Brandt (1995a, b) 

Age 0, Age 1, and Age 2, 

Chesapeake Bay 

(Diets of all age classes 

changed through season) 

Age 0: Anchoa mitchilli, Menidia menidia, Brevoortia 

tyrannus

Age 1: Leiostomus xanthurus, A. mitchilli, M. menidia, B. 

tyrannus

Age 2: Micropogonias undulatus, A. mitchilli, B. tyrannus

(B. tyrannus becomes important in diets of all age classes in 

Sep-Oct.) 

Buckel and 

Conover (1997) 

Young-of-the-year, Hudson 

River estuary 

Unidentified fish, Anchoa mitchilli, Alosa spp., Morone 

saxatilis, Morone americana 

Buckel et al.

(1999) 

Young-of-the-year, Hudson 

River estuary 

Morone saxatilis, Anchoa mitchilli, Menidia menidia, Alosa

spp.

Buckel et al.

(1999) 

Georges Bank and Middle 

Atlantic Bight continental 

shelf,

Young-of-the-year 

Adult 

1994-1995 

Bay anchovy, squid, butterfish, striped anchovy, round 

herring 

Squid, butterfish, and clupeids. 
Page 15

Table 1. Continued. 

Source Life History Stage and 

Study Location Diet Items (in order of importance) 

Juanes et al.

(2001) 

Young-of-the-year, Great 

South Bay, NY 

Sand shrimp, YOY Menidia spp., unidentified fish, 

menhaden, sand worms 

Harding and Mann 

(2001) 

20 – 40 cm 

Chesapeake Bay 

Other fish, polychaete worms, clupeids, unidentified fish, 

crustacea.

Buckel and 

McKown (2002) 

New York Bight 

embayments (western Long 

Island and Staten Island) 

Young-of-the-year 

Menidia menidia, Anchoa mitchelli, unidentified fish, sand 

shrimp, mysids, amphipods, polychaete worms, other 

invertebrates 

Able et al. (2003) Coastal NJ, ocean beaches 

Young-of-the-year 

Anchoa spp., unidentified fish, decapods, Menidia spp., 

copepods, amphipods

NEFSC food 

habits database 

[sampling 

conducted during 

seasonal surveys 

on the continental 

shelf from the Gulf 

of Maine to Cape 

Hatteras from 1973 

to the present; see 

Link and Almeida 

(2000) for 

methodology] 

All ages (mean size 35.6 

mm FL), continental shelf, 

Georges Bank and Middle 

Atlantic Bight 

Small (< 30 cm FL) 

Medium (>30 cm to < 70 

cm FL) 

Large (> 70 cm FL) 

1973-1980: Unidentified fish, Illex spp., Etrumeus teres, 

Loligo spp., Peprilus triacanthus, Cephalopoda 

1981-2003: Anchoa spp., Unidentified fish, Peprilus 

triacanthus, Ammodytes dubius, Loligo spp., Clupea 

harengus 

1981-2003: Clupea harengus, Unidentified fish, squids,

Peprilus triacanthus, Anchoa spp.,

1981-2003: Unidentified fish, squids, Clupea harengus, 

gadids, Ammodytes spp., Anchoa spp., flatfish, sculpins, 

butterfish 
Page 16

Table 2. Sampling in 1979 ("Southern MARMAP") for bluefish larvae in the Charleston Bump area (3237' N - 3280' N 

x 7842' W - 7900' W). Isaacs Kidd MWT only. 

Date Sampling Depth Sampling Volume Sampled Bluefish No./10m2

February 9 15 5 308 

 “ 37 27 641 

 “ 84 33 816 

February 28 31 26 693 0.89

 “ 54 25 1085 

 “ 110 35 1052 

March 13 30 22 580 

 “ 74 29 995 

March 17 114 38 1258 0.91

March 18 28 20 700 

March 27 18 20 742 1.16

 “ 58 27 1002 0.78

 “ 98 34 1261 

March 28 30 26 965 

April 6 32 25 875 0.71

 “ 62 25 875 41.48

 “ 132 40 1400 0.38

April 18 27 20 700 

 “ 38 21 735 2.22

 “ 128 33 1155 

April 19 42 22 770 1.45

April 30 28 22 770 36.99

May 1 76 27 945 21.16

 “ 134 38 1330 

 “ 50 25 875 3.97

May 16 34 22 770 2.65

 “ 58 25 875 9.55

 “ 130 35 1225 0.36

June 5 28 22 770 

 “ 58 31 1085 

June 30 37 26 910 

July 1 58 29 1015 

 “ 124 47 1645 

August 12 42 24 890 

August 13 127 31 1150 

 “ 50 22 816 

 “ 22 20 742 
Page 17

Table 3. Distribution of early life history stages of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, in estuaries from Maine to Florida. 

Occurrences are not quantitative and may be based on one or very few specimens. Estimates of relative abundance after 

Nelson and Monaco (1994), Jury et al. (1994), and Stone et al. (1994). Some Middle Atlantic Bight estuaries after Able 

and Fahay (1998). 

Estuary Eggs Larvae Juveniles 

Passamaquoddy Bay, ME None None Rare

Englishman/Machias Bay, ME None None Rare

Narraguagus Bay, ME None None Rare

Blue Hill Bay, ME None None Rare

Penobscot Bay, ME None None Common

Muscongus Bay, ME None None Common

Damariscotta River, ME None None Common

Sheepscot River, ME None None Common

Kennebec/Androscoggin Rivers, ME None None Common

Casco Bay, ME None None Common

Saco Bay, ME None None Common

Wells Harbor, ME None None Common

Great Bay, ME/NH None None Common

Merrimack River, NH None None Rare

Massachusetts Bay, MA None None Common

Boston Harbor, MA None None Common

Cape Cod Bay, MA None None Common

Nauset Marsh, MA None None None

Buzzards Bay, MA None Rare Abundant

Narragansett Bay, RI None Rare/common Abundant

Connecticut River, CT None None Abundant

Long Island Sound, NY None None Abundant

Gardiners Bay, NY Rare Rare Abundant

Great South Bay, NY None None Abundant

Hudson River, Raritan/Sandy Hook Bays, NY/NJ Rare Rare Abundant

Barnegat Bay, NJ None Rare Abundant

Great Bay, NJ None Rare Common

Southern Inland bays, NJ None Rare Abundant

Delaware Bay, NJ/DE None rare Abundant

Delaware Inland bays, DE None None Common

Eastern Shore, MD/VA None Rare Common

Chesapeake Bay mainstem, MD/VA None None Abundant

Chester River, MD None None Common

Choptank River, MD None None Common
Page 18

Table 3. Continued. 

Estuary Eggs Larvae Juveniles 

Patuxent River, MD None None Common

Potomac River, MD/VA None None Abundant

Tangier/Pocomoke Sound, VA None None Abundant

Rappahannock River, VA None None Abundant

York River, VA None None Abundant

James River, VA None None Abundant

Albemarle Sound, NC None None Common

Pamlico Sound, NC None None Abundant

Pungo River, NC None None Common

Neuse River, NC None None Common

Bogue Sound, NC None None Common

New River, NC None None Common

Cape Fear River, NC None None Abundant

Winyah Bay, SC None None Common

Santee Rivers (N&S), SC None None Common

Charleston Harbor, SC None None Common

St. Helena Sound, SC None None Common

Broad River, SC None None Common

Savannah River, SC/GA None None Common

Ossabow Sound, GA None None Common

Sapelo Sound/ St. Catherine, GA None None Common

Altamaha River, GA None None Common

St. Andrew/St. Simon Sound, GA None None Common

St. Johns River, FL None None Common

Indian River, FL None None Rare 

Biscayne Bay, FL None None Rare 
Page 19

Table 4. Unpublished records of juvenile bluefish in waters of coastal Maine. Collection locations are ordered from north 

to south (after Creaser and Perkins 1994). 

Location Date of Collection O/E1 Number 

Collected Size (mm TL) Method2

Marston Pt. August 25, 1983 O 3 100-130 HW 

Seal Island July 1991 O 1 50 AT 

Matinicus Rock July 24-30, 1991 O 4 50-60 RT 

 " July 9-17, 1991 O 14 40-50 AT 

 " Mid-July 1990 O 2 30-40 AT 

 " July 5, 1989 O 2 85-90 AP 

 " July 18, 1986 O 1 77 AP 

Foot Bridge (Boothbay 

Harbor) 

Summer 1970-1974 O --- Juveniles (2 modes) HS 

DMR Dock July 4, 1984 O 3 40-50 HL 

 " August 25, 1978 O 1 86 DN 

 " September 14, 1971 O 5 95-105 --- 

Townsend Gut September 5, 1985 O 1 Juvenile HL 

Lobster Cove August 11, 1991 O 4 162-192 HL 

 " August 30, 1990 O 1 145 HL 

Sheepscot River August 2, 1989 E 1 140 HL 

Sheepscot Falls August 1967 E --- 150-200 HL 

Marsh River July 17-Sept 17, 1991 E 60 101-217 GN 

 " August 1-Sept 26, 1990 E 149 89-218 GN 

 " August 8-28, 1989 E 102 92-194 GN 

 " August 26, 1987 E 6 129-163 GN 

 " August 14, 1986 E 28 93-121 GN 

The Eddy July 9, 1991 E 3 80-85 HS 

Cross River August 8, 1991 E 1 115 HS 

Berry Island September 8, 1974 E 4 125-140 HS 

 " August 29, 1973 E 2 132-141 HS 

 " August 30, 1972 E 1 112 HS 

Kennebec Pt. August 10-22, 1990 O 29 39-70 HS 
Page 20

Table 4. Continued. 

Location Date of Collection O/E1 Number 

Collected Size (mm TL) Method2

Mouth of Abagadasset 

River 

July 18, 1991 E 2 84-94 HS 

 " July 3, 1991 E 6 112-115 HS 

 " August 3, 1989 E 8 52-76 HS 

 " September 11, 1987 E 2 142-150 HS 

 " July 17, 1986 E 5 70-77 HS 

Mouth of Androscoggin 

River 

August 5, 1983 E 2 82-86 HS 

Bath Bridge Summer 1982 E 90 < 100 OT 

Winnegance Bay Summer 1988-1990 E --- 50-150 HL 

Atkins Bay Summer 1981 E --- 80-90 HS 

Howard Point August 1988 E 3 70-130 FK 

Jenny Island July 16, 1991 E 1 40 CT 

Merepoint Bay September 26, 1991 E 97 150-174 GN 

Royal River Summer 1988 E --- Juvenile --- 

SMVTI Dock September 1986 O --- 130-150 HL 

Union Wharf September 1984 O 6 150-200 HL 

Dunston, Libby, 

Nonesuch Rivers 

(confluence) 

Summer 1987 E --- Juvenile HL 

1 mi. off amusement pier, 

Old Orchard Beach 

Summer 1961-1964 O --- Juvenile HL 

Wells Harbor August 1991 E 1 68 FN 

1

 O = oceanic; E = estuarine 

2

 Collection methods: OT = otter trawl; FN = fyke net; HL = hook and line; HS = haul seine; AP = Atlantic puffin; 

 GN = gill net; AT = Arctic tern; DN = dip net; CT = common tern; HW = herring weir; RT = roseate tern 
Page 21

Table 5. Summary of life history and habitat characteristics for bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix. See Appendix 1 for a 

more complete listing of habitat variables. 

Life History 

Stage 

Habitat (Spatial 

and Temporal) Temperature Salinity Light/Vertical Distribution 

Currents/ 

Circulation Prey Estuarine Use

Eggs 1

spring cohort:

unknown. 

summer cohort:

occurs across 

continental shelf, 

southern New 

England to Cape 

Hatteras. Most in 

mid-shelf waters. 

spring cohort:

unknown. 

summer cohort: most 

in 18-22C.

spring cohort:

unknown. 

summer cohort: 31.0 

ppt or more 

(minimum 26.0 ppt). 

spring cohort:

unknown. 

summer cohort:

peak spawning in 

the evening 

(1900-2100 hrs). 

spring cohort:

unknown. 

summer cohort: in 

southern MAB, 

surface currents 

transport eggs 

south and offshore. 

-- None 

Larvae 2 spring cohort: near 

edge of continental 

shelf, Cape 

Hatteras-Cape 

Canaveral, FL. 

Peak April-May. 

summer cohort:

most 30-70 m 

depths, May-Sept, 

peak in July. 

spring cohort:

smallest larvae in > 

24C.

summer cohort: near 

Cape Hatteras 22.1-

22.4C; in MAB 18-

26C.

spring cohort:

smallest larvae in > 

35 ppt. 

summer cohort: in 

MAB in 30-32 ppt. 

spring cohort: > 4 

mm strongly 

associate with 

surface. 

summer cohort:

near surface at 

night, mostly at 

about 4 m during 

day. 

spring cohort:

subject to 

northward 

advection by Gulf 

Stream. Some 

retained in SAB by 

southerly countercurrent. 

summer cohort:

southwest winds in 

MAB may facilitate 

cross-shelf 

transport. 

summer 

cohort:

mostly 

copepod life 

history 

stages. Guts 

full during 

day. 

None 

Pelagic 

Juveniles 3

spring cohort:

smallest near 180 m 

contour; larger near 

shore. April-May. 

summer cohort:

cross MAB shelf 

from Slope Sea to 

shore, early- to 

mid-June. 

spring cohort: 19.0-

24.0C (or higher 

well offshore). 

summer cohort: in 

MAB 15.0-20.0C

(most > 18.0C). As 

low as 13.0C when 

cross shelf. 

spring cohort: Near 

180 m contour, > 

35.0 ppt. 

summer cohort:

During June, range 

36.0-31.0 ppt. 

both cohorts:

strongly 

associated with 

the surface. 

spring cohort:

shoreward 

movement with 

growth unless 

advected north. 

summer cohort:

move shoreward 

with growth. 

Currents important, 

but active 

swimming 

indicated. 

-- both cohorts:

enter 

estuarine 

nurseries 

during this 

stage 

Juveniles 4

(summer 

cohort only) 

Several estuarine 

study areas 

between 

Narragansett Bay, 

RI and Delaware 

Bay and Delaware 

River. Also coast 

beaches and surf 

zones. 

In most studies, 

arrive > 20C,

remain in 

temperatures up to 

30C, emigrate when 

declines to 15C.

Can not survive 

below 10C or above 

34C. Fall migration 

in 18-22C on inner 

continental shelf. 

Usually 23.0-33.0 

ppt but can intrude to 

as low as 3.0 ppt. 

Day: usually near 

shorelines or in 

tidal creeks. 

Night: usually in 

open bay or 

channel waters. 

Can occur in surf 

zone or clear to 

turbid backestuarine zones. 

Atlantic 

silversides, 

bay anchovy, 

clupeids, 

striped bass, 

sand shrimp, 

mysids, other 

fish, 

invertebrates. 

Mostly sand, 

particularly 

along coast, 

but some 

mud, silt, 

clay. Also 

uses Ulva,

Zostera beds, 

and Spartina

or Fucus. In 

Chesapeake 

Bay includes 

oyster bars 

and beds. 

Adults 5 Generally oceanic, 

nearshore to well 

offshore over 

continental shelf. 

Warm water, usually 

> 14-16C. Can 

tolerate 11.8-30.4C

but are stressed at 

either extreme. 

Oceanic salinities. -- -- Sight feeders, 

prey on other 

fish almost 

exclusively. 

Not 

uncommon in 

bays, larger 

estuaries, as 

well as 

coastal 

waters. 

1

 Norcross et al. (1974); Berrien and Sibunka (1999); data from present report. 2

 Norcross et al. (1974); Kendall and Walford (1979); Kendall and Naplin (1981); Powles (1981); Collins and Stender (1987); Hare and Cowen (1996); data 

 from present report. 

3

 Fahay (1975); Kendall and Walford (1979); Powles (1981); Collins and Stender (1987); Hare and Cowen (1996). 

4

 Lund and Maltezos (1970); Olla et al. (1975); Milstein et al. (1977); Nyman and Conover (1988); Rountree and Able (1992a, b); McBride et al. (1995); Able 

et al. (1996); Buckel and Conover (1997); Harding and Mann (2001), Buckel and McKown (2002), Secor et al. (2002), Able et al. (2003). 5

 Bigelow and Schroeder (1953); Olla and Studholme (1971).
Page 22

Figure 1. The adult bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (from Goode 1884). 
Page 23

Figure 2. The pelagic juvenile bluefish, 24.3 mm SL (from Able and Fahay 1998). 
Page 24

Figure 3. Distribution and abundance of bluefish eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys in 

the Mid-Atlantic Bight from 1978-1987 [survey also covered the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank; see Reid et al.

(1999) for details]. 

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

1978 to 1987

Eggs / 10m2

1 to <10

10 to <100

100 to <1000

1000 to 4533

Number of tows = 3438, with eggs = 215

Bluefish

(May, Jun, Jul, Aug)

Eggs
Page 25

Figure 3. Continued. 

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

May; 1978 to 1987

Eggs/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 999

1000 to 2361

Bluefish

Number of tows = 1085, with eggs = 2

Monthly mean density = 2.18 eggs/10m2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

June; 1978 to 1987

Eggs/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 999

1000 to 1786

Bluefish

Number of tows = 709, with eggs = 28

Monthly mean density = 6.62 eggs/10m2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

July; 1978 to 1987

Eggs/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 999

1000 to 4534

Number of tows = 781, with eggs = 132

Monthly mean density = 44.15 eggs/10m2

Bluefish

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

August; 1978 to 1987

Eggs/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 999

1000 to 3984

Number of tows = 863, with eggs = 53

Monthly mean density = 10.14 eggs/10m2

Bluefish
Page 26

Figure 4. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys of 

both the Mid-Atlantic Bight (1977-1987) and South Atlantic Bight (1973-1978) [survey also covered the Gulf of Maine 

and Georges Bank; see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

200m

Bluefish Larvae

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys,

Middle Atlantic Bight and South Atlantic Bight

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

MAB: 1977-1987; SAB: 1973-1978

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 9

10 to 99

100 to 999

1000 to 2664

No.

Tows

With

Larvae

MAB

SAB

5659 461

243 28
Page 27

Figure 5. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected with a bongo net in the South Atlantic Bight during 

NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

Larvae / 10m2

Apr 6 - May 7, 1974

None

1 to <10

10 to 48

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Larvae; size range = 4 to 17 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Larvae; size range = 3 to 12mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

May 15 - May 27, 1973

Larvae / 10m2

100 to 107

1 to <10

10 to <100

None

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

Oct 24 - Nov 16, 1973

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Larvae; size range = 5 to 6mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish

Larvae / 10m2

1 to 7

None

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

Larvae / 10m2

Apr 1 - Apr 10, 1975

100 to 213

None

1 to <10

10 to <100

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Larvae; size range = 2 to 8 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish
Page 28

Figure 5. Continued. 

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

Larvae / 10m2

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Jan 18 - Mar 8, 1977

None

1 to 6

1 Larva; size = 16 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Aug 29 - Sep 20, 1976

Larvae; size range = 2 to 3 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish

Larvae / 10m2

1 to <10

10 to 14

None

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Sep 6 - Sep 18, 1978

1 Larva; size = 3 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Bluefish

Larvae / 10m2

1 to 2

None
Page 29

Figure 6. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected in a neuston net in the South Atlantic Bight during 

NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

Number / 10m2

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length range = 4 to 35 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

May 15 - May 27, 1973

2m x 1m Neuston Net; 0.947-mm mesh

None

0.001 to 1.490

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length range = 3 to 34 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Apr 1 - May 7, 1974

2m x 1m Neuston Net; 0.947-mm mesh

Number / 10m2

None

0.001 to 1.405

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

Number / 10m2

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length range = 4 to 27 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Oct 24 - Nov 16, 1973

2m x 1m Neuston Net; 0.947-mm mesh

None

0.001 to 0.058

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length = 15 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Jan 21 - Feb 1, 1975

2m x 1m Neuston Net; 0.947-mm mesh

Number / 10m2

None

0.001 to 0.003

Bluefish
Page 30

Figure 6. Continued. 

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length range = 4 to 22 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Mar 31 - Apr 10, 1975

2m x 1m Neuston Net; 0.947-mm mesh

Number / 10m2

None

0.001 to 1.257

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length range = 3 to 4 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Aug 29 - Sep 20, 1976

1m x 0.5m Neuston Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Number / 10m2

None

0.001 to 0.132

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length range = 3 to 6 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Aug 17 - Sep 2, 1977

1m x 0.5m Neuston Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Number / 10m2

None

0.001 to 0.044

Bluefish

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length = 4 mm

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Survey

Sep 6 - Sep 18, 1978

1m x 0.5m Neuston Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Number / 10m2

None

0.001 to 0.015

Bluefish
Page 31

Figure 7. Distribution and abundance of bluefish larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys in 

the Mid-Atlantic Bight from 1977-1987 [survey also covered the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank; see Reid et al.

(1999) for details]. 

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Larvae/10m2

1 to <10

10 to <100

100 to <1000

1000 to 2664

Number of tows = 5659, with larvae = 461

Bluefish

(May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Jan)
Page 32

 Figure 7. Continued. 

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

January, 1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 3

Number of tows = 434, with larvae = 1

Monthly mean density = 0.01 larvae / 10m2

Bluefish

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

May, 1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 9

10 to 49

50 to 91

Number of tows = 1472, with larvae = 5

Monthly mean density = 0.11 larvae / 10m2

Bluefish

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

June, 1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 999

1000 to 2664

Number of tows = 893, with larvae = 40

Monthly mean density = 10.22 larvae / 10m2

Bluefish

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 999

1000 to 1833

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

July, 1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Number of tows = 938, with larvae = 218

Monthly mean density = 23.86 larvae / 10m2

Bluefish
Page 33

Figure 7. Continued. 

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

August, 1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 24

25 to 199

200 to 499

500 to 920

Number of tows = 1148, with larvae = 194

Monthly mean density = 10.03 larvae / 10m2

Bluefish

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Larvae <11.0mm length

September, 1977 - 1987

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Larvae/10m2

None

1 to 4

5 to 7

Number of tows = 774, with larvae = 3

Monthly mean density = 0.02 larvae / 10m2

Bluefish
Page 34

Figure 8. Reported occurrences of juvenile bluefish along the east coast of the United States (Clark 1973). 
Page 35

Figure 9. Abundance (number/tow) of young-of-the-year bluefish in seine and trawl surveys by state and by year. 

0

20

40

0

20

40

0

2

4

0

40

80

Number per Tow

0

30

60

0.0

0.4

0.8

0.0

0.4

0.8

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0.0

0.2

0.4

Rhode Island

 Trawl, Narragansett Bay, RI Sound, Fall

 Seine, Narragansett Bay,

 Jun-Oct

Connecticut, Trawl

 Fall (Sep-Oct)

New York, Hudson R., Seine

New York,

Western Long Island,

Seine

New Jersey, Seine

Delaware Bay, Trawl

 Jun-Oct

Maryland,

Chesapeake

Bay, Seine

VIMS, Chesapeake Bay

 Trawl

 Seine

North Carolina, Trawl

 Juvenile Fish Survey, May-Jun

 Pamlico Sound Only
Page 36

Figure 10. Distributions and abundances of juvenile bluefish in Massachusetts coastal waters collected during the fall 

Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where juveniles were not found 

are not shown. 
Page 37

Figure 11. Distributions and abundances of juvenile bluefish collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996 Rhode 

Island bottom trawl surveys. The numbers shown at each station are the average catch per tow rounded to one decimal 

place [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0

0.6

44.4

2.3

3.3

2.3

0.2

5.6

3.3

6.9

0.0

0.0 4.8

0.1

0.8

2.3

1.8

7.2

3.4

0.0

36.6

12.0

25.2

0.5

2.7 4.6

Spring

Summer Autumn

Winter

Bluefish Juveniles (< 35 cm)
Page 38

Figure 12. Seasonal length frequency distributions of bluefish collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996 Rhode 

Island bottom trawl surveys [all years combined; see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

0

1

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

0

100

200

300

400

0

100

200

300

Total Length (cm)

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn
Page 39

Figure 13. Relative abundance (geometric mean catch/tow) catch/tow and percent occurrence (proportion of samples in 

which at least one individual was observed) for juvenile and adult bluefish in Long Island Sound, by month, month and 

bottom type, and month and depth interval. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 40

Figure 14. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adult bluefish in Long Island Sound, based on 86,192 fish taken 

in 2,859 tows during the finfish surveys of the Connecticut Fisheries Division, 1984-1994. The largest circle size 

represents a tow with a catch of > 800 bluefish. Collections were made with a 14 m otter trawl at about 40 stations 

chosen by stratified random design. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 41

Figure 15. Monthly log10 length frequencies (cm) of juvenile and adult bluefish collected in Long Island Sound, based on 

76,370 fish taken in 1,380 tows during the finfish surveys of the Connecticut Fisheries Division between 1989-1994. 

Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 42

Figure 16. Relative abundance (geometric mean catch/tow) catch/tow and percent occurrence (proportion of samples in 

which at least one individual was observed) for young-of-year bluefish in Long Island Sound, by month, month and 

bottom type, and month and depth interval. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 43

Figure 17. Distributions and abundances of young-of-year bluefish in Long Island Sound, based on 77,514 young-ofyear fish taken in 2,859 tows during the finfish surveys of the Connecticut Fisheries Division, 1984-1994. The largest 

circle size represents a tow with a catch of > 800 bluefish. Collections were made with a 14 m otter trawl at about 40 

stations chosen by stratified random design. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 44

Figure 18. Distributions and abundances of age 1+ bluefish in Long Island Sound, based on 8,782 age 1+ fish taken in 

2,859 tows during the finfish surveys of the Connecticut Fisheries Division, 1984-1994. The largest circle size represents 

a tow with a catch of > 100 bluefish. Collections were made with a 14 m otter trawl at about 40 stations chosen by 

stratified random design. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 45

Figure 19. Relative abundance (geometric mean catch/tow) catch/tow and percent occurrence (proportion of samples in 

which at least one individual was observed) for age 1+ bluefish in Long Island Sound, by month, month and bottom type, 

and month and depth interval. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000). 
Page 46

Figure 20. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile bluefish in the Hudson-Raritan estuary collected during 

Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys, 1992–1997 [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

 50 - 110

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

Bluefish

Juveniles ( 35 cm) <

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Fall 1992 - 1996

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

Bluefish

Juveniles ( 35 cm) <

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Winter 1992 - 1997

 50 - 110

No Catches

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

 50 - 110

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

Bluefish

Juveniles ( 35 cm) <

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Spring 1992 - 1997

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

 50 - 110

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

Bluefish

Juveniles ( 35 cm) <

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Summer 1992 - 1996
Page 47

Figure 21. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile and adult bluefish in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the 

Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s (VIMS) trawl surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002). 
Page 48

Figure 22. Seasonal distribution and abundance of bluefish in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the VIMS trawl 

surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Monthly surveys were conducted using a random stratified design of the main 

stem of the Bay using a 9.1 m semi-balloon otter trawl with 38 mm mesh and 6.4 mm cod end with a tow duration of five 

minutes. Source: Geer (2002). 
Page 49

Figure 23. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile bluefish in Chesapeake Bay, from the VIMS seine surveys, 

1994-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002). 
Page 50

Figure 24. Juvenile bluefish catch per unit effort by site from the VIMS beach seine surveys, 1994-1999 (all years 

combined). Source: Geer (2002). 
Page 51

Figure 25. Distribution and abundance of bluefish in the South Atlantic Bight collected during SEAMAP bottom trawl 

surveys [1990-1996, all years combined; see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

200m

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

April to December; 1990 to 1996

Total Number of Tows = 1927

Tows with Bluefish = 671

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

10 to 99

100 to 160

50m
Page 52

Figure 26. Length frequency distribution of bluefish in the South Atlantic Bight collected during SEAMAP bottom trawl 

surveys (1990-1996, all years combined). 

SEAMAP Bluefish

Length (cm FL)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Number

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000
Page 53

Figure 27. Monthly distribution, abundance, and length frequency distribution of bluefish in the South Atlantic Bight 

collected during SEAMAP bottom trawl surveys (1990-1996, all years combined). 

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

10 to 99

100 to 160

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

April, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 297; with Bluefish = 129

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

10 to 69

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

May, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 437; with Bluefish = 124

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

10 to 34

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

July, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 394; with Bluefish = 116

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

10 to 37

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

August, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 152; with Bluefish = 58
Page 54

Figure 27. Continued. 

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

September, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 4; with Bluefish = 1

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

October, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 505; with Bluefish = 196

10 to 67

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

50m 200m

Number / Tow

None

1 to 9

Bluefish

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

SEAMAP Trawl Surveys

November, 1990 - 1996

Number of Trawls = 138; with Bluefish = 47

10 to 66
Page 55

Figure 28. Distributions and abundances of adult bluefish in Massachusetts coastal waters collected during the spring and 

fall Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where adults were not found 

are not shown. 
Page 56

Figure 28. Continued. 
Page 57

Figure 29. Distributions and abundances of adult bluefish collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996 Rhode Island 

bottom trawl surveys. The numbers shown at each station are the average catch per tow rounded to one decimal place 

[see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0

0.2

0.0

0.0

0.2

0.0

0.4

0.1

0.3

0.0

0.0

0.1 0.0

0.0

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.0

0.0

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.4

0.2 0.1

Spring

Summer Autumn

Winter

Bluefish Adults (>= 35 cm)
Page 58

Figure 30. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult bluefish in the Hudson-Raritan estuary collected during HudsonRaritan estuary trawl surveys, 1992–1997 [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

 50 - 110

Bluefish

Adults ( 35 cm) >

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Fall 1992 - 1996

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

Bluefish

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Winter 1992 - 1997

Adults ( 35 cm) >

 50 - 110

No Catches

NEW

JERSEY

NEW

YORK

Staten

Island

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

 50 - 110

Bluefish

Adults ( 35 cm) >

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Spring 1992 - 1997

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

NEW

YORK

NEW

JERSEY

Staten

Island

No/Tow

 1 - 4

10 - 24

25 - 49

 5 - 9

 50 - 110

Bluefish

Adults ( 35 cm) >

Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Summer 1992 - 1996
Page 59

Figure 31. Seasonal length frequency distributions used to determine bluefish size and age cutoffs in NEFSC bottom 

trawl surveys. 

0

5

10

Percent Frequency

0

5

10

Length (cm FL)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

0

5

10

Spring

N = 1,003

Summer

N = 2,670

Fall

N = 56,803

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

NEFSC Resource Surveys - All Data

YOY

Springspawned

YOY

Summerspawned

YOY

Summerspawned

YOY

Springspawned

YOY

Springspawned

Age 1

Age 1

Age 1

12.5 cm

Age 2+

Age 2+

Age 2+
Page 60

Figure 32. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adult bluefish collected during winter NEFSC bottom trawl 

surveys (1964-2003, all years combined). Distributions are displayed as presence only. 
Page 61

Figure 32. Continued. 
Page 62

Figure 33. Distributions and abundances of four size classes of bluefish collected during spring NEFSC bottom trawl 

surveys (1968-1997, all years combined). Survey stations where bluefish were not found are not shown. 

Number / Tow

 1 to 7

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44 (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length 3 to 9 cm FL

NMFS Spring Trawl Surveys

All Years (1968 - 1997)

Bluefish

YOY, Spring-spawned

200m 200m

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44 (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length 12 to 29 cm FL

NMFS Spring Trawl Surveys

All Years (1968 - 1997)

Bluefish

Age 1, Spring-spawned

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 90

200m

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44 (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length 30 to 50 cm FL

NMFS Spring Trawl Surveys

All Years (1968 - 1997)

Bluefish

Age 2

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 22

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length 51 to 87 cm FL

NMFS Spring Trawl Surveys

All Years (1968 - 1997)

Bluefish

Age >= 3

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 45

200m
Page 63

Figure 34. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adult bluefish collected during spring NEFSC bottom trawl 

surveys (1968-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where bluefish were not found are not shown. 
Page 64

Figure 34. Continued. 
Page 65

Figure 35. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adult bluefish collected during summer NEFSC bottom trawl 

surveys (1963-2003, all years combined). Distributions are displayed as presence only. 
Page 66

Figure 35. Continued. 
Page 67

Figure 36. Distributions and abundances of four size classes of bluefish collected during fall NEFSC bottom trawl 

surveys (1963-1996, all years combined). Survey stations where bluefish were not found are not shown. 

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Bluefish

Length 2 to 12 cm FL

NMFS Fall Trawl Surveys

All Years (1963 - 1996)

YOY, Summer-spawned

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 99

100 to 999

1000 to 1468

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Bluefish

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

Length 26 to 40 cm FL

NMFS Fall Trawl Surveys

All Years (1963 - 1996)

Age 1

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 86

200m

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length 41 to 88 cm FL

NMFS Fall Trawl Surveys

All Years (1963 - 1996)

Bluefish

Age >= 2

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 32

82 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

200m

(Pomatomus saltatrix)

Length 13 to 25 cm FL

NMFS Fall Trawl Surveys

All Years (1963 - 1996)

Bluefish

YOY, Spring-spawned

Number / Tow

1 to 9

10 to 99

100 to 999

1000 to 1619
Page 68

Figure 37. Distributions and abundances of juvenile and adult bluefish collected during fall NEFSC bottom trawl surveys 

(1963-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where bluefish were not found are not shown. 
Page 69

Figure 37. Continued. 
Page 70

Figure 38. Distributions of bluefish eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys relative to nearsurface water column temperature and depth, from May- August 1978-1987, all years combined. Open bars represent the 

proportion of all stations which were surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all standardized 

catches (number/10 m2

). Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth. 

0

20

95

100

0

20

80

90

Percent

0

10

20

30

40

50

Depth Interval Midpoint

0 10 30 50 70 110 150 190 230 270 325 450 1250 2000

0

20

40

60

80

Percent Distributions of Depths

 Stations Densities of Bluefish Eggs

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

0

20

40

0

20

40

Temperature (C) - Surface to 15 m

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

0

20

40

60

80

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Percent Distributions of Temperatures

 Stations Densities of Bluefish Eggs
Page 71

Figure 39. Distributions of bluefish larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys relative to nearsurface water column temperature and depth, from May- September 1977-1987, all years combined. Open bars represent 

the proportion of all stations which were surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all 

standardized catches (number/10 m2

). Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth. 

0

30

60

0

20

40

Percent

0

20

40

0

20

40

Adjusted Temperature (C) Near Surface (0-15m) 

0 5 10 15 20 25

0

25

50

Percent Distributions of Temperatures

 Stations Densities of Bluefish Larvae

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

0

30

60

0

30

60

Percent

0

30

60

0

30

60

Depth Interval Midpoint (m)

10 50 90 130 170 210 250 290 375 750 1750

0

30

60

Percent Distributions of Depths

 Stations Densities of Bluefish Larvae

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep
Page 72

Figure 40. Distributions of juvenile bluefish and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom water 

temperature, depth, and salinity, based on NEFSC spring bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1968-2003, all 

years combined; salinity: 1991-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars 

show the distribution of all trawls in which bluefish occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the 

percentage of the total number of bluefish caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth. 

Bluefish

NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey

Spring 1968 - 2003

Juveniles (<30 cm)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-10

11-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-90

91-100

101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500

>500

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=12514

Occurrence N=80

Catch N=990

0

20

40

60

80

100

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Salinity (PPT)

Percent

Trawls N=2270

Occurrence N=10

Catch N=391

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=10879

Occurrence N=76

Catch N=983
Page 73

Figure 40. Continued. 

Based on NEFSC fall bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1963-2003, all years combined; salinity: 1991-2003, 

all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in 

which bluefish occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of bluefish 

caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth. 

Bluefish

NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey

Fall 1963 - 2003

Juveniles (<30 cm)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1-10

11-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-90

91-100

101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500

>500

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=14186

Occurrence N=1401

Catch N=65131

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Salinity (PPT)

Percent

Trawls N=2272

Occurrence N=242

Catch N=9476

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=12207

Occurrence N=1124

Catch N=50684
Page 74

Bluefish

Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey

Fall 1978 - 2003

Juveniles (<30 cm)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1-5

6-10

11-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=2338

Occurrence N=242

Catch N=4372

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=2244

Occurrence N=233

Catch N=4279

Figure 41. Distributions of juvenile bluefish and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water 

temperature and depth, based on spring Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). 

Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which bluefish occurred 

and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of bluefish caught. 
Page 75

Figure 42. Seasonal distributions of juvenile bluefish and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth based on 

Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys (1990-1996; all years combined). White bars give the distribution of all the 

trawls and black bars represent, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of juveniles caught. 

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

20

40

60

80

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

20

40

60

80

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

4

8

12

16

20

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

4

8

12

16

20

Bottom Temperature (C)

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Bluefish

Juveniles (< 35 cm) Stations

Catches

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 0

10

20

30

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 0

5

10

15

20

25

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 0

20

40

60

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

0

20

40

60

Bottom Depth (ft)

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Bluefish

Juveniles (< 35 cm) Stations

Catches
Page 76

Figure 43. Distributions of juvenile bluefish relative to mean bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, and 

salinity, based on Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys (January 1992 - June 1997, all years combined). Open bars 

represent stations surveyed and closed bars represent fish collected. 

Temperature (C)

Depth (ft)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Stations

Catches

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)

Salinity (ppt)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Juveniles ( 35 cm) <
Page 77

Figure 44. Hydrographic preferences for bluefish in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the VIMS trawl surveys, 

1988-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002). 
Page 78

Figure 45. Hydrographic preferences for juvenile bluefish, from the VIMS seine surveys, 1994-1999 (all years 

combined). Source: Geer (2002). 
Page 79

Figure 46. Distributions of adult bluefish and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom water 

temperature, depth, and salinity, based on NEFSC spring bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1968-2003, all 

years combined; salinity: 1991-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars 

show the distribution of all trawls in which bluefish occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the 

percentage of the total number of bluefish caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth. 

Bluefish

NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey

Spring 1968 - 2003

Adults (>=30 cm)

0

5

10

15

20

1-10

11-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-90

91-100

101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500

>500

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=12514

Occurrence N=101

Catch N=448

0

20

40

60

80

100

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Salinity (PPT)

Percent

Trawls N=2270

Occurrence N=25

Catch N=139

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=10879

Occurrence N=84

Catch N=350
Page 80

Figure 46. Continued. 

Based on NEFSC fall bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1963-2003, all years combined; salinity: 1991-2003, 

all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in 

which bluefish occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of bluefish 

caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth. 

Bluefish

NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey

Fall 1963 - 2003

Adults (>=30 cm)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1-10

11-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-90

91-100

101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500

>500

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=14186

Occurrence N=1588

Catch N=5062

0

10

20

30

40

50

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Salinity (PPT)

Percent

Trawls N=2272

Occurrence N=335

Catch N=1007

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=12207

Occurrence N=1303

Catch N=4187
Page 81

Figure 47. Distributions of adult bluefish and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water temperature 

and depth, based on spring Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Light bars 

show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which bluefish occurred and 

medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of bluefish caught. 

Bluefish

Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey

Spring 1978 - 2003

Adults (>=30 cm)

0

10

20

30

40

50

1-5

6-10

11-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=2482

Occurrence N=9

Catch N=12

0

10

20

30

40

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=2407

Occurrence N=8

Catch N=11
Page 82

Figure 47. Continued. 

Based on fall Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the 

distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which bluefish occurred and medium bars 

show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of bluefish caught. 

Bluefish

Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey

Fall 1978 - 2003

Adults (>=30 cm)

0

10

20

30

40

50

1-5

6-10

11-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85

Bottom Depth (m)

Percent

Trawls N=2338

Occurrence N=80

Catch N=120

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Bottom Temperature (°C)

Percent

Trawls N=2244

Occurrence N=74

Catch N=113
Page 83

Figure 48. Seasonal distributions of adult bluefish and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth based on 

Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys (1990-1996; all years combined). White bars give the distribution of all the 

trawls and black bars represent, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of adults caught. 

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

10

20

30

40

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

10

20

30

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

0

4

8

12

16

20

-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 0

4

8

12

16

20

Bottom Temperature (C)

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Bluefish

Adults (35 cm) Stations

Catches

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 0

10

20

30

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

0

5

10

15

20

25

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 0

10

20

30

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

0

10

20

30

Bottom Depth (ft)

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Bluefish

Adults (35 cm) Stations

Catches
Page 84

Appendix 1. Bluefish habitat characteristics. MAB = Middle Atlantic Bight; SAB = South Atlantic Bight. 

EGGS

Authors Study Period 

and Area

Habitat (Spatial 

and Temporal) Temperature Salinity DissolvedOxygen Currents Light Prey

Norcross et

al. (1974) 

1960-1962, 

Continental

Shelf waters off 

Virginia.

Across shelf, from 

nearshore to shelf 

edge, but most in 

outer half of shelf. 

June through August, 

peak July. 

22C or more. 

(Minimum 

18C).

31 ppt or 

more. 

(Minimum 

26.6 ppt). 

--- Prevailing 

surface currents 

transport eggs 

south and 

offshore. 

Peak

spawning

evening

(1900-2100 

hrs). 

---

Berrien and 

Sibunka

(1999) 

1977-1987, 

Continental

Shelf waters, 

Gulf of Maine to 

Cape Hatteras. 

Occur southern New 

England to Cape 

Hatteras across entire 

shelf. Most in midshelf waters of 

MAB, especially off 

New Jersey and 

Delaware Bay. MayAugust. 

--- --- --- --- --- --- 
Page 85

Appendix 1. Continued. 

LARVAE

Authors Study Period 

and Area 

Habitat (Spatial 

and Temporal) Temperature Salinity DissolvedOxygen Currents Light/Vertical Distribution Prey

Norcross 

et al.

(1974) 

1960-1962, 

Continental

Shelf waters 

off Virginia. 

Surface waters, 

most near edge of 

shelf.

--- --- --- --- --- --- 

Kendall

and

Walford 

(1979) 

1965-1967, 

Continental

Shelf waters 

between Cape 

Cod and Palm 

Beach,

Florida.

Late April: in and 

near Gulf Stream 

off Cape Hatteras; 

May: near edge of 

shelf off Carolinas; 

August: mid-shelf 

depths off New 

Jersey; 

September: few in 

New York Bight;

October: 

concentration near 

shelf edge off 

Georgia. 

C. Hatteras: 

22.1-22.4C;

MAB: 18-26C,

SAB: 20-26C.

MAB: 30-

32 ppt, 

SAB: 35-

38 ppt. 

--- Larvae from 

spring spawn 

advected north 

via Gulf 

Stream. 

--- --- 

Kendall

and Naplin 

(1981) 

July 1974, 

outer 

Continental

Shelf off 

Delaware 

Bay. 

Vertical 

distribution study. 

Most larvae within 

4 m of surface. 

Surface 23C. Surface 33 

ppt. 

--- --- Near surface at 

night; mostly at 

4 m during 

daylight. 

Mostly

copepod life 

history 

stages.

Guts full 

during day; 

empty 

during 

night. 

Powles

(1981) 

1973-1976, 

Cape Fear, 

North

Carolina to 

Cape

Canaveral, 

Florida.

Peaked April-May; 

smallest near edge 

of shelf; larger 

closer to shore or 

advected north. 

Smallest larvae 

> 24C.

Smallest 

larvae > 35 

ppt. 

--- Ekman drift 

would impede 

inshore 

migration. 

Predominately 

neustonic. 

---

Collins

and

Stender 

(1987) 

1973-1980, 

Cape Hatteras 

to Cape 

Canaveral, 

Florida.

Mostly in waters > 

40 m, primarily in 

spring, secondarily 

in late summer. 

--- --- --- Southerly 

counter-current 

retains larvae in 

SAB.

> 4 mm strongly 

associated with 

surface. 

---

Hare and 

Cowen

(1996); 

Hare et al.

(2001) 

March 1990, 

1991; April 

1989; June 

1991; Water 

masses off 

Cape

Hatteras. 

Larvae occurred 

March through 

June; different 

sizes occurred in 

different water 

masses. 

March: 20-

25C; April: 18-

25C; June: 21-

25C

March: 36+ 

ppt; April: 

34.5-36.5 

ppt; June: 

31-36 ppt. 

--- SW winds in 

MAB may 

facilitate crossshelf transport 

of larvae. 

--- --- 
Page 86

Appendix 1. Continued. 

PELAGIC-JUVENILES 

Authors Study Period 

and Area

Habitat (Spatial and 

Temporal) Temperature Salinity Dissolved

Oxygen Currents Light/Vertical Distribution Prey

Fahay

(1975) 

Seasonal, May 

1967-Feb. 

1968. SAB 

Continental

Shelf. 

14 collected between 

North Carolina and 

Cape Canaveral, 

various depths between 

nearshore and shelf 

edge. All during May. 

19.0-24.0C --- --- --- --- --- 

Kendall

and

Walford 

(1979) 

1965-1972, 

East Coast U.S. 

(MAB and 

SAB

Continental

Shelf into 

Slope Sea). 

April (late): many near 

Cape Hatteras; 

May: shelf in SAB, 

largest nearshore; 

June: MAB between 

shore and shelf/slope 

front;

Fall: few between 

Delaware Bay and Cape 

Hatteras;

Winter: few between St. 

Johns River and Cape 

Canaveral. 

April-May: 

22.1-24.0C,

Jun: 15.0-

20.0C (most > 

18.0C),

Fall: 15.0-

18.0C,

Winter: 13.0-

15.0C.

--- --- Migrate across 

shelf from 

shelf/slope front 

to shore as shelf 

waters warm. 

All collected in 

near-surface 

samplers. 

---

Powles

(1981) 

1973-1976; 

SAB Cape fearCape

Canaveral. 

Smallest collected near 

180 m contour; larger 

near shore. 

180 m contour: 

> 24.0C.

180 m 

contour: > 

35.0 ppt. 

--- Weak 

association of 

size with 

proximity to 

coast. Most 

probably 

advected north. 

Strongly 

associated with 

the surface. 

---

Collins

and

Stender 

(1987) 

1973-1980, 

SAB Cape 

Fear-Cape 

Canaveral. 

Seaward of 40 m 

isobath, mostly spring, 

some fall occurrences. 

--- --- --- Strong negative 

correlation of 

size and depth 

during spring, 

indicates

shoreward 

movement with 

growth. 

Strongly 

associated with 

the surface. 

---

Hare and 

Cowen

(1996) 

1988, MAB 

shelf edge. 

Cross shelf from Slope 

Sea to shore early to 

mid-June. 

13.0-15.0C. --- --- Wind-driven 

flow may be 

important, but 

active swimming 

probably more 

important. 

Surface oriented. --- 
Page 87

Appendix 1. Continued. 

JUVENILES AND OLDER 

Authors

Study

Period and 

Area

Habitat 

(Spatial and 

Temporal) 

Temperature Salinity Dissolved

Oxygen Currents/Tide Substrate/ 

Vegetation Light/ Diel Prey

de Sylva et 

al. (1962) 

1958-1960, 

Delaware 

Bay and 

River.

July and 

August, 

mostly in 

shore zone of 

lower

estuary.

--- usually 

high, but as 

low as 3.0 

ppt. 

--- Surf zone, clear 

to turbid. 

Sand. --- Collected 

with small 

clupeids and 

anchovies. 

Smith (1971) 1969-1970, 

four lowsalinity

creeks, upper 

Delaware 

Bay. 

Six YOY 

occurred in 

two of the 

creeks, June 

and July. 

24.5-30.0C. 0-5.2 ppt. 4.5-7.3. Ebb/flood. Sand/gravel. Day. --- 

Milstein et

al. (1977) 

1972-1974, 

Great Bay, 

New Jersey. 

Several

distinct

habitats

studied;

bluefish most 

abundant in 

mud-sand, 

high salinity 

sites; also 

sandy 

beaches.

--- --- --- Slow to 

moderate, swept 

by waves. 

Mostly sand, 

some gravel, 

silt, clay; 

Ulva lactuca,

Spartina 

alterniflora,

Fucus

(sometimes). 

--- --- 

Pristas and 

Trent (1977) 

1972, St. 

Andrews 

Bay, Florida. 

Range of 

depths

sampled with 

gill nets, 24 

hrs. Bluefish 

most dense in 

shallowest

zone (0.7-1.1 

m). 

11.4-27.0C. 25.3-34.6 

ppt. 

--- --- > 80% sand; 

vegetation

most dense in 

shallow zone. 

Bluefish

most 

abundant at 

night in 

shallowest

zone. 

---

Nyman and 

Conover 

(1988) 

1985-1986, 

both shores 

of Long 

Island, New 

York.

Occur in 

embayments, 

between late 

May and 

October. 

Arrive > 20C;

emigrate ca. 

15C.

--- --- --- --- --- --- 

Rountree and 

Able (1992a, 

b). 

1988-1989, 

Great South 

Bay, New 

Jersey.

Occur in 

polyhaline 

subtidal

marsh creeks 

during 

summer. 

> 20.0C. 23.0-30.0 

ppt. 

--- --- --- Day: tidal 

creeks

Night: open 

bay. 

Menidia

menidia. 

McBride et 

al. (1995) 

Narragansett 

Bay, Rhode 

Island. 

JuneOctober, 

shallow

beaches.

18.0-28.0C. 25.0-34.0 

ppt. 

--- --- Cobble, 

gravel, shell, 

sand; Ulva

and some 

Zostera.

Day

sampling 

only. 

---

Able et al.

(1996) 

Great Bay, 

New Jersey. 

Most bluefish 

in subtidal 

creeks.

19.0-28.0C. 25.0-33.0 

ppt. 

--- --- 0.3-1.2 m 

depth; Ulva

lactuca.

--- --- 
Page 88

Appendix 1. Continued. 

JUVENILES AND OLDER (CONTINUED) 

Authors

Study

Period and 

Area

Habitat 

(Spatial and 

Temporal) 

Temperature Salinity Dissolved

Oxygen Currents/Tide Substrate/ 

Vegetation Light/ Diel Prey

Buckel and 

Conover 

(1997) 

1992-1993, 

Hudson

River

estuary.

Mid-channel 

and

nearshore

day-night 

occurrence

and feeding 

study. 

--- --- --- --- --- Most 

abundant

nearshore

during 

daylight;

mid-channel 

at night and 

twilight.

Gut fullness 

highest

twilight and 

day, usually 

low at night. 

Prey: striped 

bass, bay 

anchovy, 

clupeids. 

Fahay et al.

(1999) 

1964-1997, 

Continental

shelf MAB, 

south to Cape 

Fear, Cape 

Canaveral. 

Inner shelf 

(over depths 

< 20 m) 

during 

summer and 

fall.

Most 18-22C. --- --- --- --- --- --- 

Harding and 

Mann (2001) 

Chesapeake

Bay 1997. 

May to 

September. 

Oyster reefs, 

oyster bars, 

and sandy 

bottoms. 

17C to 28C. 11 to 18 ppt. --- No significant 

effect on 

abundance. 

More 

abundant on 

oyster bars. 

More diverse 

diet on bars. 

Most 

abundant in 

samples at 

night. 

Clupeids, 

other teleosts, 

polychaetes

and

crustaceans.

Buckel and 

McKown

(2002) 

New York 

Bight

embayments, 

1997 and 

1998. 

May to 

November, 

embayments 

in western 

Long Island 

and Staten 

Island. 

15C to 26C. 22 to 27 ppt. --- --- --- --- Sand shrimp, 

mysids, 

Menidia spp.,

Anchoa spp.,

Fundulus 

spp. , 

amphipods. 

Scharf et al.

(2002) 

Navesink

River/Sandy 

Hook Bay. 

Shallow

estuaries

May to 

October. 

--- --- --- Low velocity 

currents. 

Depositional

habitat – high 

turbidity

zones. 

--- Primarily 

menhaden 

large niche 

overlap 

between

predator and 

prey. 

Fox et al.

(2002) 

Delaware 

Bay June – 

Nov 2001. 

Marsh creeks 

in NJ. 

--- Range from 

mesohaline 

to

oligohaline. 

--- --- --- --- Menhaden, 

Fundulus

spp., Menidia

spp. 
Page 89

Appendix 1. Continued. 

JUVENILES AND OLDER (CONTINUED) 

Authors

Study

Period and 

Area

Habitat 

(Spatial and 

Temporal) 

Temperature Salinity Dissolved

Oxygen Currents/Tide Substrate/ 

Vegetation Light/ Diel Prey

Secor et al.

(2002) 

Chesapeake

Bay and MD 

coastal bays. 

Shoal

habitats (< 2 

m depth) and 

deeper

offshore 

habitats (4-40 

m depth). 

Concluded

that shallow 

ocean habitat 

important for 

YOY in late 

summer – 

early fall. 

--- --- --- --- --- --- Menidia spp. 

in July, 

Anchoa spp.

in August. 

Able et al.

(2003) 

Coastal NJ 

1995-1998. 

Sandy ocean 

beaches and 

Great Bay 

and Little 

Egg Harbor 

estuary.

7.7C to 

25.4C.

27.1 to 33.4 

ppt. 

--- High wave 

energy on 

beaches and 1.4 

m tidal range. 

Sand. --- Bay anchovy, 

Menidia spp.,

amphipods, 

decapods. 

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of contents, and -- if applicable -- lists of tables, figures, and

acronyms. As much as possible, use traditional scientific

manuscript organization for sections: "Introduction," "Study

Area," "Methods & Materials," "Results," "Discussion" and/

or "Conclusions," "Acknowledgments," and "References Cited."

Style: All NEFSC publication and report series are

obligated to conform to the style contained in the most recent

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Operations, Management & Information Division

Research Communications Branch

Editorial Office

Manuscript Submission

Authors must submit one paper copy of the double-spaced

manuscript, one disk copy, and original figures (if applicable).

NEFSC authors must include a completely signed-off "NEFSC

Manuscript/Abstract/Webpage Review Form." Non-NEFSC authors who are not federal employees will be required to sign a

"Release of Copyright" form.

Send all materials and address all correspondence to: Jon A.

Gibson (Biological Sciences Editor), NMFS Northeast Fisheries

Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026.
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA

166 Water St.

Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026

Publications and Reports

of the

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

The mission of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is "stewardship of living marine resources 

for the benefit of the nation through their science-based conservation and management and promotion of the 

health of their environment." As the research arm of the NMFS's Northeast Region, the Northeast Fisheries 

Science Center (NEFSC) supports the NMFS mission by "conducting ecosystem-based research and assessments of living marine resources, with a focus on the Northeast Shelf, to promote the recovery and long-term 

sustainability of these resources and to generate social and economic opportunities and benefits from their use." 

Results of NEFSC research are largely reported in primary scientific media (e.g., anonymously-peer-reviewed 

scientific journals). However, to assist itself in providing data, information, and advice to its constituents, the 

NEFSC occasionally releases its results in its own media. Currently, there are three such media:

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data reports of 

long-term field or lab studies of important species or habitats; synthesis reports for important species or habitats; annual reports 

of overall assessment or monitoring programs; manuals describing program-wide surveying or experimental techniques; literature 

surveys of important species or habitat topics; proceedings and collected papers of scientific meetings; and indexed and/or annotated 

bibliographies. All issues receive internal scientific review and most issues receive technical and copy editing.

Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data 

reports on field and lab studies; progress reports on experiments, monitoring, and assessments; background papers for, collected

abstracts of, and/or summary reports of scientific meetings; and simple bibliographies. Issues receive internal scientific review, but 

no technical or copy editing.

Resource Survey Report (formerly Fishermen's Report) -- This information report is a quick-turnaround report on the distribution 

and relative abundance of selected living marine resources as derived from each of the NEFSC's periodic research vessel surveys

of the Northeast's continental shelf. There is no scientific review, nor any technical or copy editing, of this report.

OBTAINING A COPY: To obtain a copy of a NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE or a Northeast Fisheries Science Center 

Reference Document, or to subscribe to the Resource Survey Report, either contact the NEFSC Editorial Office (166 Water St., 

Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026; 508-495-2228) or consult the NEFSC webpage on "Reports and Publications" (http://www.nefsc.

noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/).

ANY USE OF TRADE OR BRAND NAMES IN ANY NEFSC PUBLICATION OR REPORT DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT.

MEDIA

 MAIL