Checklist of Saltwater Fish

Checklist of Saltwater Osteichthyes

Salt Water Fish
Scientific Name	Common Name	Notes
Order Acipenseriformes
Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus	Atlantic Sturgeon	formerly occasional, now very rare
Order Albuliformes
Albula vulpes	Bonefish	rare; found once in 1871
Order Anguilliformes
Anguilla rostrata	American Eel	common
Conger oceanicus	Conger Eel	moderately common seasonally
Muraena retifera	Reticulate Moray Eel	accidental; 1 off Chappaquiddick 1899; the only New England record (Smith 1899)
Ophichthus cruentifer	Margined Snake Eel	rare
Order Atheriniformes
Menidia beryllina	Inland Silverside	common
Menidia menidia	Atlantic Silverside	common
Order Aulopiformes
Synodus foetens	Inshore Lizardfish	uncommon
Order Batrachoidiformes
Opsanus tau	Oyster Toadfish	common
Order Beloniformes
Cheilopogon melanurus	Atlantic Flying Fish	rare; found in 1899 and 1908
Exocoetus volitans	Tropical Two-wing Flying Fish	scarce
Hirundichthys rondeletii	Black Wing Flying Fish	rare; found in 1900
Hyporhampus roberti	Slender Halfbeak	uncommon
Scomberesox saurus	North Atlantic Saury	rare; found in 1905
Tylosurus acus	Agujon Needlefish	rare
Strongylura marina	Silver Gar or Atlantic Needlefish	moderately common
Order Beryciformes
Sargocentron coruscum	Reef Squirrelfish	very rare; found in 1899 and 1900
Order Clupeiformes
Alosa aestivalis	Blueback Herring	common
Alosa mediocris	Hickory Shad	common
Alosa pseudoharengus	Alewife	formerly abundant, now moderately common
Alosa sapidissima	American Shad	formerly common, now uncommon
Anchoa hepsetus	Broad-striped Anchovy	rare; taken in 1906
Anchoa mitchelli	Bay Anchovy	common
Brevoortia tyrannus	Atlantic Menhaden	common
Clupea harengus	Atlantic Herring	seasonally common
Sardinella aurita	Spanish Sardine	rare; taken in 1892,1900, and 1908
Dorosoma cepedianum	Atlantic Gizzard Shad	common some years
Engraulis encrasicolus	European Anchovy	variably common; an Eastern Atlantic species
Etrumeus teres	Atlantic Round Herring	rare; taken in 1905 and 1908
Opisthonema oglinum	Atlantic Thread Herring	very rare; taken 1885, 1901, and 1902
Order Cyprinodontiformes
Fundulus diaphanous	Banded Killifish	common
Fundulus heteroclitus	Mummichog	common
Fundulus majalis	Striped Killifish	common
Cyprinodon variegatus	Sheepshead Minnow	common
Lucania parva	Rainwater Killifish	common
Order Elopiformes
Elops saurus	Ladyfish	moderately common
Megalops atlanticus	Tarpon	uncommon to rare
Order Gadiformes
Brosme brosme	Cusk	very rare
Gadus morhua	Atlantic Cod	formerly common now rare
Gaidropsarus argentatus	Arctic Rockling	rare
Melanogrammus aeglefinus	Haddock	formerly uncommon now rare
Merluccius bilinearis	Silver Hake	variably uncommon to common; formerly common
Microgadus tomcod	Atlantic Tomcod	common
Nezumia bairdii	Marlin-spike Grenadier	very rare; found once in, 1882
Pollachius virens	Pollock	formerly common; now uncommon to rare
Urophycis chuss	Red Hake	common but less so than formerly
Urophycis regia	Spotted Hake	rare
Urophycis tenuis	White Hake	common
Order Gasterosteiformes
Apeltes quadracus	Fourspine Stickleback	common
Gasterosteus aculeatus	Threespine Stickleback	common
Gasterosteus wheatlandi	Blackspotted Stickleback	uncommon
Pungitius pungitius	North American Ninespine Stickleback	common
Order Lophiiformes
Histrio histrio	Sargassum Fish	irregular; only found with floating Sargassum weed
Lophius americanus	Goosefish	common
Order Ophidiiformes
Ophidion marginatum	Striped Cusk-eel	rare; one found in 2001
Order Osmeriformes
Osmerus mordax	Rainbow Smelt	formerly common now rare
Order Perciformes
Acanthurus bahianus	Ocean Surgeonfish	rare
Acantuhurus coeruleus	Blue Tang Surgeonfish	rare
Acanthurus chirurgus	Doctorfish	uncommon
Alectis ciliaris	African Pompano	very rare; one found in 1999
Alectis crinitus	Threadfin	rare
Amodytes americanus	Sand Launce	abundant to common
Anarhichas lupus	Atlantic Wolffish	rare
Apogon maculatus	Flamefish	rare; found in 1899
Apogon pesudomaculatus	Twospot Cardinalfish	one record, 2023 from Lambert's Cove (iNaturalist)
Archosargus probatocephalus	Sheepshead	uncommon
Auxis rochei	Bullet Tuna	uncommon
Auxis thazard	Frigate Mackerel	rare; one found in 1885
Brama brama	Atlantic Pomfret	rare; found near Noman’s Land in 1904
Caranx bartholomaei	Yellow Jack	rare; found in 1908
Caranx crysos	Blue Runner	uncommon
Caranx hippos	Cravalle Jack	uncommon
Caranx sexfasciatus	Big-eye Trevally	uncommon to rare
Centropristis striata	Black Sea Bass	common
Pomacanthus arcuatus	Gray Angelfish	very rare; one record
Chaetodipterus faber	Atlantic Spadefish	very rare; one found in 1906
Chaetodon capistratus	Foureye Butterflyfish	variably rare to absent
Chaetodon ocellatus	Spotfin Butterflyfish	uncommon
Coryphaena hippurus	Dolphin	uncommon
Cryptacanthodes maculatus	Wrymouth	rare; one found in 1900
Cynoscion regalis	Weakfish	common
Decapturus macarellus	Mackerel Scad	seasonally common
Decapturus punctatus	Round Scad	rare; found in 1908
Epinephelus adscensionis	Rock Hind	rare; one found in 1899
Epinephelus morio	Red Grouper	rare; found in 1899 and 1900
Epinephelus nigritus	Warsaw Grouper	rare; one found in 1899
Epinephelus niveatus	Snowy Grouper	variably common to uncommon
Euthynnus alletteratus	Little Tunny	common
Gobiosoma bosci	Naked Goby	rare; found in 1906
Gobiosoma ginsburgi	Seaboard Goby	uncommon
Hyperoglyphe perciformis	Barrelfish	common
Katsuwonus pelamis	Skipjack Tuna	very rare; found once in 1878
Kyphosus spectator	Bermuda Sea Chub	rare; found in 1906
Lagodon rhomboides	Pinfish	rare
Leistomus xanthurus	Spot	uncommon
Lobotes surinamensis	Atlantic Tripletail	very rare; found in 1873, 1875, 1886, and 1890
Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps	Tilefish	uncommon to rare off Noman’s Land
Lutjanus analis	Mutton Snapper	rare; found 1899 and 1900
Lutjanus apodus	Schoolmaster Snapper	rare; found 1900 and 1901
Lutjanus campechanus	Northern Red Snapper	rare; found 1890 and 1900
Lutjanus griseus	Gray Snapper	rare; found 1897, 1900, and 1906
Lycodes lavalaei	Arctic Ocean Pout	very rare; only known record south of Maine
Zoarces americanus	Ocean Pout	uncommon
Makaira nigricans	Blue Marlin	uncommon
Menticirrhus saxatilis	Northern Kingfish	variably uncommon to common
Morone americana	White Perch	common
Morone saxatilis	Striped Bass	common
Mugil cephalus	Striped Mullet	common seasonally
Mugil curema	White Mullet	common seasonally
Mullus auratus	Red Goatfish	uncommon
Mycteroperca bonaci	Black Grouper	rare; found in 1899
Mycteroperca interstitialis	Yellowmouth Grouper	rare; found in 1899 and 1900
Nomeus gronovii	Man-o-war Fish	rare; found in 1889 and 1894
Ocyurus chrysurus	Yellowtail Snapper	very rare; found in 1900
Oligoplites saurus	Leatherjack	very rare; found in 1874 and 1875
Orthopristis chrysoptera	Pigfish	very rare; found in 1908
Paracanthurus hepatus	Palette Surgeonfish	uncommon
Peprilus paru	Harvest Fish	rare
Peprilus triacanthus	Butterfish	common
Pholis gunnellus	Rock Gunnel	common
Polydactylus octonemus	Eight-threaded Threadfin	very rare; taken in 1908
Pomatomus saltatrix	Bluefish	common
Priacanthus arenatus	Atlantic Bigeye	rare
Pristigenys alta	Short Bigeye	rare
Rachycentron canadum	Cobia	rare
Remora brachyptera	Spearfish Remora	uncommon to rare
Sarda sarda	Atlantic Bonito	variably common
Scarus iseri	Striped Parrotfish	rare; 2 found in 1900
Scomber colias	Atlantic Chub Mackerel	uncommon
Scomber scombrus	Atlantic Mackerel	common
Scomberomorus cavalla	King Mackerel	uncommon to rare
Scomberomorus maculatus	Spanish Mackerel	common
Selar crumenophthalmus	Bigeye Scad	common seasonally
Selene dorsalis	African Moonfish	rare [possibly conspecific with S. setipinnis]
Selene setipinnis	Atlantic Moonfish	rare
Selene vomer	Lookdown	rare
Seriola lalandi	Yellowtail Amberjack	uncommon
Seriola zonata	Banded Rudderfish	uncommon
Sphyraena borealis	Northern Sennet	uncommon
Stegastes leucostictus	Beaugregory	rare; one found in 1899
Stenotomus chrysops	Scup	common
Tautoga onitis	Tautog	common
Tautogolabrus adspersus	Cunner	common
Tetragonurus cuvieri	Smalleye Squaretail	rare; one found in 1899
Tetrapturus albidus	White Marlin	uncommon to rare
Thunnus albacares	Yellowfin Tuna	common offshore
Thunnus alalonga	Albacore Tuna	common offshore
Thunnus obesus	Bigeye Tuna	common offshore
Thunnus thynnus	Bluefin Tuna	common offshore
Trachinotus carolinus	Florida Pompano	uncommon
Trachinotus falcatus	Permit	uncommon
Trichiurus lepturus	Largehead Hairtail	uncommon
Ulvaria subbifurcata	Radiated Shanny	rare
Xiphias gladius	Swordfish	formerly moderately common; decreasing to rare
Order Pleuronectiformes
Bothus ocellatus	Eyed Flounder	rare; found in 1906
Gymnachirus nudus	Naked Sole	rare; one found in 1906
Hippoglossoides platessoides	American Plaice	uncommon
Hippoglossus hippoglossus	Atlantic Halibut	formerly common now rare
Lamanda ferruginea	Yellowtail Flounder	common
Scophthalmus aquosus	Windowpane Flounder	common
Paralichthys dentatus	Summer Flounder	common though less so than formerly
Paralichthys oblongus	Fourspot Flounder	common
Etropus microstomus	Smallmouth Flounder	found at Inkwell Beach in 2018 and 2-19 using eDNA technique discussed in introduction
Pseudopleuronectes americanus	Winter Flounder	common
Trinectes maculatus	Hogchoker	uncommon to rare
Order Salmoniformes
Salmo salar	Atlantic Salmon	rare
Order Scorpaeniformes
Cyclopterus lumpus	Lumpfish	uncommon
Hemitripterus americanus	Sea Raven	uncommon
Liparis atlanticus	Atlantic Sea Snail	rare
Liparis liparis	Striped Sea Snail	uncommon
Myoxocephalus anaeus	Grubby Sculpin	common
Myoxocephalus scorpius	Shorthorn Sculpin
Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus	Longhorn Sculpin	common
Prionotus carolinus	Northern Sea Robin	common
Prionotus evolans	Striped Sea Robin	common
Scorpaena grandicornis	Plumed Scorpionfish	very rare; one found in 1899
Order Siluriformes
Bagre marinus	Gafftopsail Sea Catfish	rare; taken in 1871,1886, and 1906
Order Syngnathiformes
Fistularia tabacaria	Trumpetfish	rare; taken in 1906
Hippocampus erectus	Lined Seahorse	uncommon
Syngnathus fuscus	Pipefish	uncommon
Order Tetraodontiformes
Acanthostracion quadricornis	Scrawled Cowfish	rare
Aluterus monoceros	Unicorn Leatherjacket	rare
Aluterus schoepfi	Orange Filefish	rare
Balistes capriscus	Gray Triggerfish	uncommon but regular
Balistes vetula	Queen Triggerfish	uncommon to rare
Canthidermis sufflamen	Ocean Triggerfish	rare; one found in 1897
Chilomycterus antillarum	Web Burrfish	rare; found in 1899 and 1911
Cyclichthys schoepfi	Striped Burrfish	irregular
Lactophrys trigonus	Buffalo Trunkfish	uncommon
Lactophrys triqueter	Smooth Trunkfish	rare; found in 1899
Lagocephalus laevigatus	Smooth Puffer	uncommon
Mola mola	Ocean Sunfish	uncommon to rare
Sphoeroides maculatus	Northern Puffer	common
Sphoeroides spengleri	Bandtail Southern Puffer	very rare; found in 1899 and 1900
Stephanolepis hispidus	Planehead Filefish	very rare; found in 1899