Amelia Island Fishing - Brochures

Sea Stats Brochures - Florida Fish

Bait Fish - Baitfish” is the common term given to a multitude of small, schooling fish whose main claim to fame is that they are an important food source for other fish. This large and diverse group of fishes is an integral part of the complex, interconnected marine food web. Baitfish are used in a variety of products such as fish meal, oil, pet food, and fertilizer and are, of course, used as bait.
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Grouper - Groupers, members of one of the largest families of fishes found in Florida waters, run the gamut of sizes and shapes, from the diminutive graysby weighing several pounds to the mammoth goliath grouper that can top the scales at 600 pounds or more. Grouper is an important commercial and recreational commodity in Florida. Broiled, fried, or spicy “blackened” grouper is a staple on the menus of seafood restaurants.
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Pompano & Permit - These fast-swimming coastal fishes are a challenge to catch and, as a result, are coveted by Florida anglers; the pompano has the added enticement of being a popular dinner entree. The two species are remarkably similar in appearance but very different in size as adults, a situation that confuses many anglers who, thinking they have reeled in a world-record-size pompano, are disappointed to learn that they have actually hooked a permit, and a small one at that.
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Red Drum - One of Florida’s most popular sport fish, red drum is also one of the state’s most widespread estuarine inhabitants. Red drum are prodigious spawners that may produce tens of millions of eggs each year. Their relative hardiness and prolific nature make them ideal candidates for rearing in hatcheries. Stringent fishing restrictions have been instrumental in restoring populations of this popular sport fish, which frequents practically all of the state’s estuaries.
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Spotted Sea Trout - These residents of Florida’s coastal waters are a popular target of the state’s sport anglers. Seatrout depend on seagrass meadows for food and shelter, so habitat protection is an essential element of any seatrout management program.
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Snook - Equally at home in both fresh and salt water, the common snook is one of Florida’s premier gamefish. Many saltwater anglers consider these powerful aquatic gladiators to be the ultimate challenge. The opportunity to meet this challenge was almost eliminated in the 1950s when snook stocks plummeted. Shoreline development, fishing pressure, and loss of coastal habitats all contributed to the decline. As a result, common snook were eventually designated as a gamefish — restricted to recreational harvest only.
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Tarpon - One of Florida’s most spectacular game fish, the tarpon is a feisty foe whose powerful leaps from the water and bone-jarring bursts of speed test the skill and fortitude of even the most experienced angler. A hardy giant that can survive in a variety of habitats and salinities, the tarpon can even gulp air for extended periods when not enough oxygen is present in the water to sustain it. Despite its popularity among sport fishermen, many aspects of this extremely long-lived fish’s life cycle and behavior remain a mystery.
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Sea Stats Brochures - Florida Crabs

Blue Crabs - Blue crabs are common in all of Florida’s coastal waters. In 1860, William Stimpson, a taxonomist who admired the coloration of these crabs, named the group that includes blue crabs Callinectes, meaning “beautiful swimmer.” In 1896, the blue crab was first described by Mary Rathbun, who gave it the specific name sapidus, meaning savory. Blue crabs are classified as Phylum Arthropoda, Class Crustacea, Order Decapoda, Family Portunidae. All of these terms translated provide a concise description of blue crabs. They have a shell and ten jointed legs, and they spend much of their lives in estuaries. These beautiful swimming crabs are indeed a delicious meal.
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Horseshoe Crabs - The horseshoe crab is one of Florida’s most mysterious and fascinating creatures. Although extensive research has been conducted, much is still unknown about this animal. Horseshoe crabs belong to a class of animals called Merostomata, a group more closely related to spiders and scorpions (Class Arachnida) than to true crabs (Class Malacostraca). Unlike true crabs, horseshoe crabs do not possess antennae or jaws, and they have seven pairs of legs, whereas true crabs have only five pairs.
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These files have been reproduced here with the permission of the Florida Fish And Wildlife Research Institute. You will need the free Adobe PDF Reader to view these files as they are in PDF format.