Spadefish

Genus chaetodipterus

 

 

• Distinguishing characteristics: stripes, flat, tall body, triangular dorsal and anal fins

 

In the Wild

• Habitat: A spadefish lives in saltwater.
• Diet: Spadefish eat algae and small invertebrates.
• Predators:  Humans and larger fish eat spadefish.
• Size: Spadefish get to be around 35 inches, 19.8 pounds.
• Breeding: They have a spawning season of May through September
• Life Span: They live for 8-10 years

 

 

In the Aquatics Lab

• Diet: They eat squid.
• Size: They are 8-12 inches.
• Quantity: We have four spadefish of the six that were donated to us by the Virginia Tech Seafood Agriculture Research Extension Center in Hampton, VA.

 

 

Other information

• Virginia Regulations:  You can only have 4 per person on the boat.
• Commercial Use:  Spadefish are sold as a food source.