Ladyfish, Elops saurus
Ladyfish, Elops saurus. Fish caught from coastal waters off St. Petersburg, Florida, October 2012. Length: 36 cm (14 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).
Ladyfish, Elops saurus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Gulf Shores, Alabama, Alabama, September 2023. Length: 51 cm (20 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Ladyfish, Elops saurus. Fish caught from within the Indian River Lagoon, Micco, Florida, November 2020. Length: 54 cm (21 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.
Ladyfish, Elops saurus. Fish caught from within the Indian River Lagoon, Micco, Florida, November 2020. Length: 54 cm (21 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.
The Ladyfish, Elops saurus, is a member of the Tenpounder or Elopidae Family, that is also known as the Northern Ladyfish and in Mexico as machete del Atlántico. Globally, there are six species in the genus Elops, of which three are found in Mexican waters, two in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific Ocean.
The Ladyfish has an elongated cylindrical body with an oval cross section. They are dark blue-green dorsally transitioning to silver ventrally with blue reflections. Their fins have a light yellow tint. Their head has large eyes with a long mouth that opens at the front equipped with small granular teeth. Their fins have no spines. Their anal fin has 14 to 17 rays and its base is shorter than the dorsal fin base; their caudal fin is deeply forked with long and slender lobes; their dorsal fin has 1 spine and 21 to 25 rays with a concave upper margin; their pectoral fins are low on the body; and, their pelvic fins have 10 to 16 rays and are under the dorsal fin origin. They have 16 to 23 gill rakers. They are covered with very noticeable scales. Their lateral line is prominent, straight, complete, and runs the length of the body.
The Ladyfish is a shallow inshore pelagic species found in large schools over sandy bottoms in bays, lagoons, and mangroves within seagrass beds, mangrove marshes and sand flats at depths up to 10 m (33 feet). The juveniles reside in estuaries with low salinities where they remain for two years and them move to deeper environments. They reach a maximum of 1.0 m (3 feet 3 inches) in length and 6.8 kg (15 pounds) in weight. As of March 31, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record for weight stood at 3.62 kg (8 lbs 0 oz) with the fish caught from coastal waters off Brazil in February 2006. The corresponding International Game Fish Association world record for length stood at 99 cm (3 feet 3 inches) with the fish caught in Australian waters in September 2021. They feed on crustaceans and small fishes. In turn their larvae and juveniles are preyed upon by alligators, birds, fishes (including sharks), and dolphins. They spawn off shore with pelagic larvae that drift to the shore. They are subject to massive die offs in waters that are less than 11oC (52oF). They have life spans of up to six years.
The Ladyfish is found in all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean, including throughout the Gulf of Mexico, with the exception that they are absent from along the East Coast of the Yucatán Peninsula.
The Ladyfish is an easy species to identify but can be confused with the Southern Ladyfish, Elops smithi (virtually identical; in Mexican waters found only along the East Coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, have more vertebrae).
From a conservation perspective the Ladyfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern, with stable, widely distributed populations. They are heavily targeted by recreational anglers and referred to as a “ten-pounder” due to their terrific strength and stamina, although they seldom exceed three pounds. When hooked they can provide recreational anglers with quite a tussle. Historically they have been pursued by commercial fishermen for use as bait and to produce fish meal. They are considered to be a marginal human food fish to the numerous small bones found throughout their body. Their commercial catch has been banned in Florida. Their long-term survival is threatened by human development and related pollution.