Bonefish

Renowned for their speed, wariness, and their propensity to tail (expose its caudal fin when rooting in shallow water), bonefish are coastal game fish, commonly found in intertidal flats, mangrove areas and adjacent deeper areas in tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and the Caribbean sea.

Also known as the grey ghosts of the flats due to the natural camouflage that helps them remain undetected, bonefish have a lung-like air bladder that lets them inhale air to tolerate oxygen-poor water in certain habitats.

Often found in schools — of dozens or even hundreds — of similar-size specimens, bonefish become more solitary as they grow larger. With the exception of spawning periods, bones exceeding 6 pounds tend to break off into packs of 3 to 8 fish, while larger trophies (some specimens exceed 16 pounds) opt to travel and forage alone or in pairs.

In South Florida and the Bahamas, bonefish primarily feed on small crabs and shrimp, clams and snails, polychaete worms, and small finfish (primarily gulf toadfish). In other areas, like certain parts of the Caribbean and Los Roques, Venezuela, glass minnows are their main forage.