Alabama Saltwater Fish

Amberjacks - Learn about identification of the four species of amberjacks that occur in Alabama's Gulf waters.

Blue Runner - This hard-hitting fighter has

been the first real exciting battle for many a young angler!

Bluefish - Armed with powerful, sharp teeth in large muscular jaws, bluefish have no peer as the preying pack hunters of our coastal waters

Cobia - Along the Gulf Coast cobia

are known as ling, cabio,

lemonfish and crabeater.

Crevalle Jack - There is no tougher game fish to be had in shallow, coastal waters with light tackle!

Croaker - Its name is derived from the croaking sound generated by its gas-filled swim bladder.

Dolphinfish, (Dolphin, Dorado, Mahi-mahi) - Dolphinfish - the mahi-mahi of restaurant fame is one of our finest food fishes. The flesh is white, mild and ideal for broiling.

Drum, Black - This is a big drum - often approaching three feet and weighing 70 - 80 pounds.

Drum, Red (Redfish) - Red drum prefer shellfish such as crabs or shrimp but won't pass up a chunk of fish if it's offered.

Flounders - Voracious predators, flounders spend most of their time camouflaged snugly on the bottom awaiting their unsuspecting prey.

Grouper, Gag - The Gag is a modest to large-sized grouper reaching over two feet and at least 30 pounds.

Grouper, Red - most abundant in the eastern Gulf, red groupers have expanded their range to our coast.

Grouper, Scamp - There is no doubt that the Scamp is one of the most esteemed food fishes of the Gulf!

Kingfishes: Gulf (whiting), Southern (ground mullet) - Among the finest flavored fishes of our coast, abundant and excellent for either frying of broiling.

Ladyfish - (Skipjack, Ten-pounder) - Many a young angler recalls their first great fishing thrill caused by the tail-walking antics of the ladyfish!

Mackerel, King - a favorite offshore gamefish, accessible to thousands of anglers in modest-sized craft

Mackerel, Spanish - a small fish by mackerel standards, but still reaches two feet and about 12 pounds.

Pigfish - a fine-flavored panfish, at first glance this member of the grunt family resembles the pinfish.

Pinfish - Pinfish abound in estuarine and nearshore waters, especially around piling and other large submerged objects.

Pompano, Florida - Pompano command the highest price of any Gulf fish...'nuff said!

Red Porgy - (white snapper) This fine fish frequents hard bottom and patch reef areas along the inner-continental shelf.

Sailfish - The bill and incredible sail positively identify the magnificent Atlantic Sailfish.

Seatrouts, Sand and Silver (white trout) - These fish are highly regarded for their sporting nature and fine eating qualities.

Seatrout, Spotted (speckled trout) - The distinctive spotted pattern and formidable fangs are enough to lock in the identification of the famed Speckled Trout"

Sharks - A good way to appreciate these marvelous fish is to realize why they've changed so little over hundreds of millions of years.

Sheepshead - This is one of the largest porgies - sometimes exceeding two feet and weighing over ten pounds.

Silver Perch - Though small, this silvery-colored member of the drum family is an excellent panfish.

Snapper, Gray: (mangrove snapper, black snapper) - This fine-eating fish is one of the few snappers that occurs in shallow estuarine waters.

Snapper, Lane - Like many snappers, this one prefers to night-feed, showing no preference for fish, shrimp, crabs or other palatable shellfish

Snapper, Red - This is one of the Gulf's most important and finest-eating recreational and commercial fishes.

Snapper, Vermilion: (beeliner) - It feeds mid-water on smaller animals, sometimes even near-invisible planktonic animals, but will take small baits of fish and shellfish parts.

Spadefish, Atlantic - excellent eating, and when the right spot is found along with a school in the right mood a nice mess of one-pound spadefish is a real possibility.

Spot - The spot gets its name from the distinctive eye-sized spot just behind the upper edge of the gill cover.

Tarpon: The Silver King - Alabama's Official State Saltwater Fish - Tarpon cruise shallow, low salinity waters including open bays and may venture upstream in coastal rivers.

Tomtate - The most striking feature of this grunt is the bright red lining on the inside of its mouth, giving it the nickname "rubylips".

Triggerfish, Gray - Wide ranging from Canada to Argentina and through the Gulf, the Gray triggerfish is an outstanding food fish.

Tripletail: (blackfish) - The tripletail is a circumtropical species, found in all the Earth's warm seas, both nearshore as well as blue water mid-ocean regions. A culinary delight!

Tuna, Blackfin - This is a small tuna, approaching only about three feet in length and weighing about 40 pounds.

Tuna, Yellowfin - Highly prized, this is one on the biggest tunas - reaching six feet and weighing 400 pounds.

Tunny, Little - (bonito) - Little tunny are fast-moving tight schooling predators, favoring clear, nearshore coastal areas and shallow shelf surface waters.

Wahoo - Pelagic loners, found well offshore even to mid-ocean regions, wahoo are voracious predators capable of wreaking havoc on light tackle.

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