Bluefish Identification Guide
Spot the silvery, toothy, two-finned build that separates bluefish from striped bass and jack crevalle.
Read the full Bluefish encyclopedia entry →
Key identification features
- Elongated, laterally compressed, torpedo-shaped body built for speed
- Back is blue-green to greenish-gray, fading to bright silver on the sides and belly
- Large head with a strongly underslung, powerful jaw lined with sharp, closely set triangular teeth
- Two separate dorsal fins: a low spiny first fin and a taller, softer second fin set well back
- Deeply forked tail, sometimes with a faint dark smudge visible at the base of the pectoral fin
Common look-alikes
- Striped bass: has bold dark horizontal stripes running the length of the body and a blunter head, unlike bluefish's plain silver flanks
- Jack crevalle: much deeper-bodied and more compressed, with a black spot on the gill cover and a sharply forked, yellowish tail
- Spanish mackerel: slimmer, with rows of bronze or yellow spots and a single continuous dorsal outline rather than bluefish's two clearly separated fins
Where you'll see one
Bluefish range widely through temperate and subtropical coastal and open waters on both sides of the Atlantic, forming large, fast-moving schools along beaches, inlets, and open shorelines during seasonal migrations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a bluefish from a striped bass while surf fishing?
Look for stripes - striped bass have bold dark horizontal lines down the body, while bluefish are plain silvery-green with no stripes and a more toothy, underslung jaw.
What separates a bluefish from a jack crevalle?
Jack crevalle have a much deeper, rounder body and a black spot on the gill cover, while bluefish are more elongated and lack that gill-cover marking.