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Description: The Greater
Amberjack has a dark stripe (variably present) which extends from nose
to in front of dorsal fin and "lights up" when fish is in feeding mode;
no scutes; soft dorsal base less than twice the length of the anal fin
base.
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Description: The body
of the Atlantic Bonito is typical tunny in shape, with numerous (up to
10) stripes on the back. No belly markings. The dorsal stripes are oblique
with a large angle.
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Description: A flashy
and aggressive fighter, the Barracuda is often called the Tiger of the
Sea. The preferred habitat is high-profile bottom such as reefs and wrecks.
Barracuda are pike-like fishes, elongated and slender with long jaws and
protruding, razor-sharp teeth. The body is colored silver overall, with
dark green to gray along the back. Blotches on the lower sides are variable
in number, size, and position. The species reaches a length of 6 feet
and a weight slightly greater than 100 pounds. In the more southern part
of the range, the flesh, particularly of larger fish, is considered toxic,
being associated with fish poisoning, or ciguatera.
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Description: The body
of the yellowfin tuna tapers at both ends (cigar-shaped), and the head
is conical. The color is dark brownish blue to dark yellow on the back
becoming gray or whitish below. Identifying tunas can be difficult, especially
when yellowfin and bigeye tuna are involved. In most cases, the length
of the pectoral fins can distinguish each species. The yellowfin has pectoral
fins which do not extend past the anal fin; while in bigeye, the pectoral
fins extend well past the anal fin. Tuna which cannot be distinguished
by external characteristics can be positively identified by liver characteristics.
The surface of a yellowfin's liver is smooth while the liver of the bigeye
is striated, containing many with small blood vessels along the trailing
edge.
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Description: The Blackfin
Tuna is one of the smaller tunas, averaging about 10 pounds with a maximum
weight.
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Description: The Dolphin
is bright greenish blue above, yellow on sides, with capability of flashing
purple, chartreuse, and a wide range of other colors; body tapers sharply
from head to tail; irregular blue or golden blotches scattered over sides;
anterior profile of head on adult males is nearly vertical; head of females
more sloping; the single dark dorsal fin extends from just behind the
head to the tail; anal fin margin concave and extending from anus to tail.
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Description: The color
of the Sailfish is dark blue on top, brown-blue laterally, silvery white
underbelly; upper jaw elongated in form of spear; first dorsal greatly
enlarged in the form of a sail, with many black spots, its front squared
off, highest at its midpoint; pelvic fins very narrow, reaching almost
to the anus; body covered with embedded scales, blunt at end; lateral
line curved above pectoral, then straight to base of tail.
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Description: The color
of the Blue Marlin is cobalt blue on top shading to silvery white on bottom;
upper jaw elongated in form of spear; dorsal fin pointed at front end;
pectoral fin and anal fin pointed; lateral line reticulated (interwoven
like a net), difficult to see in large specimens; no dark spots on dorsal
fin; body covered with embedded scales ending in one or two sharp points.
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Description: The color
of the body of the White Marlin is dark blue to chocolate brown, shading
to silvery white underbelly; noticeable spots on dorsal fin; upper jaw
elongated in shape of spear; body covered with embedded scales with a
single sharp point; tips of first dorsal, pectoral, and first anal fins
rounded; lateral line curved above pectoral fin, then going in straight
line to base of tail.
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Description: The color
of the back of the King Mackeral is iridescent bluish green; sides silvery,
streamlined body with tapered head; no black pigment on front of dorsal
fin; lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal
fin; young fish often have yellow spots like those of the Spanish mackeral.
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Description: The Wahoo
is a long slender-bodied fish with long, heavily toothed jaws that form
a beaklike snout. It is a predatory fish and it's flat-sided razor-sharp
teeth allow it to rip into schools of squid and baitfish.
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