The Bluefish, sole member of the Family Pomatomidae
Popular sport fish along the Atlantic Coast, the Bluefish is a fast, powerfully built fish that is also quite large and aggressive to the extreme. Can they be kept in home aquariums? Yes, it’s possible, but they are certainly not without their challenges.
Species
There is currently only one Genus and only one species within the Family Pomatomidae:
- Pomatomus saltatrix (Bluefish) [pictured]
Though extremely common in their native range, these fish are practically never for sale in pet stores. In fact, you are more likely to find one sold as a food fish than as a pet fish.
Conservation Status
The Bluefish is currently Not Evaluated by the IUCN. This fish is fairly commonly in it’s range and is not too widely fished commercially.
Distribution
Worldwide. For North America, the Bluefish is found as far North as Quebec, down along the entire coast of Canada, the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The range extends as far South as lower Argentina and as far East as Europe and the entire Eastern coast of Africa. They are also found in the Indian Ocean as well as around Australia and New Zealand. Curiously, their range does not include the Northern Pacific Ocean.
These fish are highly migratory. Populations that are found around Florida in the Winter will travel around Virginia and Delaware in the Spring and then New York and New Jersey in the Summer.
Description
The Bluefish is a somewhat large fish, typically reaching 24 inches in length with a maximum of 51 inches. They are capable of great bursts of speed and can easy jump out of uncovered or loosely covered tanks.
Bluefish can be extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack tankmates or even their owner. They are likely to attack any tankmate, whether larger or smaller, and can’t be reliably kept with other species of fish. Starfish may be safe options. Single-species tanks are the safest setups for Bluefish but even then, larger Bluefish will attack smaller Bluefish. In the wild, schools are all made up of similarly sized specimens.
Shipping can be a common cause of mortality among Bluefish. They are stressed by lack of oxygen fairly quickly and will need an airstone in their container when moving. They can be injured easily due to handling and damaged individuals are especially susceptible to infections and fungi (which are often fatal). They also seem to catch fin rot fairly easily, exacerbated by the tendency of other Bluefish in their school to bite.
Feeding
Feeding is relatively straightforward; Bluefish should accept most meaty foods provided to them, invertebrates like clams, cockles, crabs, shrimp, and squid, but also whole fish. Try to avoid using too many meaty foods that contain Thiaminase; tilapia, Ocean Perch, Atlantic Halibut, and Cod are some safer options. Avoid hand feeding.
Consider adding vitamins and supplements like Amino Acids and Iodide within food items given to Bluefish. As their diet is invariably less diverse than in the wild, this practice can help keep them healthy.
Water Quality
As marine fish, especially those which are found in reef settings, Bluefish are best kept in large, stable systems. High carbonate hardness and high pH (around 8-8.5) are musts. These are large, schooling fish and produce a lot of waste. Utilizing Deep Sand Beds to aid in nitrification and a working protein skimmer are highly recommended. Bluefish absolutely require near perfect water conditions (Ammonia/Nitrites at 0, Nitrates below 10 mg/l). These fish are subtropical and can be kept at lower room temperatures; somewhere between 62-70 F should be fine. Tropical temperatures will increase metabolism, waste production, and aggression: all things to avoid with Bluefish.
Due to their need for brisk currents, Bluefish need robust filtration (about 8 to 10 times tank turnover per hour) and powerheads to keep the water constantly moving.
Brackish Suitability
As both adults and juveniles, Bluefish have a remarkable tolerance for Brackish conditions. They are routinely found in estuaries around 1.008, which should be adequate for long-term health, though upwards of half strength sea water (1.012-1.025) is likely preferred. Adults have been noted to spawn when the salinity is between 1.023-1.024 or 1.026-1.029, depending on the geographic location.
Tank Size
Bluefish need massive tanks. A school of adults should not be kept in a tank smaller than 1500-2000 gallons. It cannot be stressed enough that these are large, social fish which can quickly turn on each other in smaller tanks (in smaller groups). This is extremely difficult to do at home and as such these fish are likely better kept in public aquariums or left in the ocean.
Breeding
Breeding in captivity has not been recorded, though seem to be dependent on both temperature and salinity. Schools will all spawn at the same time and each female releases between 400,000 to 2,000,000 eggs. There is no parental care exhibited by the adult Bluefish.
Final Thoughts
Big, aggressive, and somewhat sensitive, there’s very little to support wanting to keep Bluefish at home. Given their need for an immense tank (which can be used on any number of other fish which can largely find suitable tankmates), it’s best to avoid keeping even small Bluefish specimens.
Sources
Pomatomus saltatrix, Bluefish, Fishbase
Pomatomus saltatrix, Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
Australian fisheries resources, Bureau of Resource Sciences, Canberra, Australia
Biological and Fisheries Data on Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus), Stuart J. Wilk
McClane’s Field Guide to Saltwater Fishes of North America, A. J. McClane
Our Native Fishes, John R. Quinn
