Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Ladyfish

LADYFISH - Elops saurus Family Elopidae, TARPONS

Description: terminal mouth; slender body; small scales; last dorsal ray not elonged; 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.
Remarks: known to spawn OFFSHORE; ribbon-like larvae very similar to Albua and Megalops, peaking in fall; adults feed predominantly on fish and crustaceans; leaps when hooked.