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Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

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Atlantic Mackerel

Atlantic Mackerel

Atlantic mackerel
Scomber scrombus

Longfin Squid

Longfin Squid

Longfin squid
Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii

Illex Squid

Illex Squid

Illex (shortfin) squid
Illex illecebrosus

Butterfish

Butterfish

Butterfish
Peprilus triacanthus

Bluefish

Bluefish

The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is a migratory species found in temperate and tropical coastal oceans worldwide. In the United States, bluefish are found along the entire east coast from Maine through Florida. Bluefish are blue-green on the back and silvery on the sides and belly. They have a pointed snout and a prominent jaw, with sharp, compressed teeth. Bluefish live up to 12 years and may exceed lengths of 39" and weights of 31 pounds. Bluefish eat a wide variety of prey and are particularly known for a feeding behavior called the "bluefish blitz" where large schools of fish attack bait near the surface.

Atlantic Surfclam

Atlantic Surfclam

Atlantic surfclam
Spisula solidissima

Spiny Dogfish

Spiny Dogfish

Spiny dogfish  (Squalus acanthias) is a small species of shark found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, mostly in the temperate and subarctic areas. Spiny dogfish are slim, with a narrow, pointed snout and characteristic white spots. They have two dorsal fins with ungrooved large spines and are colored grey above and white below. Males grow up to 3.3 feet, and females grow up to 4 feet.  Spiny dogfish are top-level predators and feed on a wide variety of small fish, crustaceans, jellyfish, squid, and other marine animals. They are found both inshore and offshore, usually near the bottom but also in mid-water and at the surface. 

Golden Tilefish

Golden Tilefish

Golden tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaelonticeps) have white bellies and iridescent blue-green on the back with spots of bright yellow and gold. They are slow growing and can reach sizes of up to 3-3/4 feet, although the average size harvested is 2 feet. Tilefish typically live at depths of 250-1,500 feet where water temperatures range from 49 to 58 degrees.  They are often found in and around submarine canyons where they burrow in mud or sand sediment. Some tilefish build large sand and rubble mounds, which provide habitat for other bottom-dwelling creatures and fishes.  

monkfishFNL_RR_Species.png
Ocean Quahog

Ocean Quahog

Ocean quahog
Arctica islandica

Summer Flounder

Summer Flounder

Summer Flounder
Paralichthys dentatus

Scup

Scup

Scup
Stenotomus chrysops

Black Sea Bass

Black Sea Bass

Black Sea Bass
Centropristis striata

alewife-herring.jpg
Hickory Shad.jpg
american-shad.jpg
blueback-herring.jpg
Blueline Tilefish

Blueline Tilefish

Blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) are dull-olive grey fish with white undersides. They lack a fleshy structure behind their head which visually separates them from golden tilefish. Blueline tilefish have a long snout, a narrow gold stripe underlined in fluorescent blue from the snout to the tip of the eye, and a strong flat spine on their gill cover. They also have an elongated, continuous dorsal and anal fin that is roughly half the length of the body. Males tend to be larger than females and can grow up to 32 inches long and live for up to 15 years.

  Chub mackerel    Scomber colias

Chub mackerel
Scomber colias

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Atlantic Mackerel
Longfin Squid
Illex Squid
Butterfish
Bluefish
Atlantic Surfclam
Spiny Dogfish
Golden Tilefish
monkfishFNL_RR_Species.png
Ocean Quahog
Summer Flounder
Scup
Black Sea Bass
alewife-herring.jpg
Hickory Shad.jpg
american-shad.jpg
blueback-herring.jpg
Blueline Tilefish
  Chub mackerel    Scomber colias

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is one of eight fishery management councils responsible for the management of marine fisheries in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. The council develops management plans for twelve species of fish and species off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic region.

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    • Spiny Dogfish Accountability Measures Framework
    • Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Exemptions
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Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 674-2331  |   Toll-Free: (877) 446-2362   |   Fax: (302) 674-5399   |  Email: contact@mafmc.org

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