Ladyfish

Family Elopidae, TARPONS
Elops saurus

Description: terminal mouth, slender body, small scales; last dorsal ray not elongated; head small and pointed.

Similar Fish: juvenile tarpon, Megalops atlanticus .

Where found: INSHORE fish, in bays and estuaries; occasionally enters freshwater, occurring in tidal pools and canals; often forms large schools and harasses bait at the surface.

Size: 2 to 3 pounds.

*Florida Record: 4 lbs., 10 ozs.

Remarks: known to spawn OFFSHORE, ribbon-like larvae very similar to Albula and Megalops , peaking in fall; adult feeds predominantly on fish and crustaceans; leaps when hooked.

*The Florida records quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.