Here are the fish species commonly found in the waters of New Jersey. Click on the image to enlarge.

** Check out the Fishing Calendar to view when these fishes are in season **

INSHORE SPECIES
Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Renowned for size, speed, and beauty Description: Dark blue color on top fading to silver on lower sides. Steely blue fins and finlets Size: Can exceed 10 feet in length and weigh over 1,000 pounds
Bluefish (Pornatomus saltatrix) Hotly pursued by anglers due to it's reputation as a champion battler and voracious predator Description: Steel blue or dark green above fading to silvery white color below. Dark spot at base of pectoral fin. Large mouth and prominent teeth. Size: Rarely exceed 20 lbs and 40 inches in length
Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda) Known for impressive bursts of speed, strong first runs, and high quality white meat Description: Have a series of wavy lines along upper half of body, and no spots on lower half. Size: Grows up to 30 inches, weighing 10 to 12 pounds
Fluke (Paralichthys dentatus) Flatfish noted for its fighting ability and flavor Description: Brownish or olive, heavily marked with spots of various colors. Size: Average adult weighs 2-5 pounds, measuring 17-25 inches long
Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) Popular game fish, easily recognized for the horizontal pattern on its body Description: Bluish to dark olive upper body, silvery sides and belly. Seven or eight narrow lengthwise stripes from the back of its head to the base of its tail. Size: Can grow up to 6 feet, weighing 125 pounds

OFFSHORE SPECIES
Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) Its great size and tremendous fight challenges even the most accomplished angler Description: Blue-black on the dorsal surface, silvery white underside. Several vertical stripes are noticeable. Pointed dorsal fin curves sharply downward. Size: Grows up to 1800 pounds at 16 feet
Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) Highly prized because of its outstanding sporting characteristics Description: Blue-black on the upper part fading to silvery below. Vertical stripes on sides are often visible. Enormous dorsal fin. Size: Do not grow over 10 feet and rarely weigh over 200 pounds.
Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) Prized for their firm, white meat Description: Dark brown to purple color, with whitish undersides. Large eyes. Crescent-shaped dorsal fin. Huge bill/sword - longer and wider than of Marlins and Sailfish. Size: Grows up to 1800 pounds at 16 feet
White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) Excellent lignt tackle challenge Description: Similar to Blue Marlin, but can be distinguished because of the rounded tips of its fins. Size: Grows from 40 to 100 pounds.
Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus) Good sized tuna Description: Similar in appearance to the Yellowfin Tuna, only the gold horizontal stripe along sides is usually absent. Rare catch compare to the Yellowfin. Size: Like the Yellowfin, ranges from few pounds up to 300
Longfin Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) Also known as albacore, is an outstanding battler with quality meat Description: Easy to identify because of its long pectoral fins. Longfin is the rarest tuna. Size: Usually grows from 10 to 50 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacres) Second to Bluefin Tuna because of smaller size Description: Finlets are yellow, trimmed in black. Gold stripe along side. Second dorsal and anal fins are elongated and lunate. Size: Grows from a few pounds to more than 200
Dolphin (Corypahena hippurus) Also known as Mahi-mahi, strong and acrobatic Description: Blue/deep gree and yellow when in water. Dorsal fins extends from head to tail. Head is blund in males (bulls) and rounded in females (cows) Size: Schooling fish are smaller from a pound to 20. Larger fish reaches 50 pounds, sometimes exceeding 80 on rare occasions.