Bonefish (Albula vulpes) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 0–84 m.
Scientific name: Albula vulpes · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 104 cm
The bonefish is an albulid of shallow coastal waters, estuaries and bays over sand and mud, from 0 to 84 m. It usually schools, though large individuals are solitary, and it feeds on bottom worms, crustaceans and molluscs picked from the mud and sand. It can tolerate poorly oxygenated water by taking air into a lung-like air bladder, and its flesh is bony and not highly esteemed. It is one of the most important game fishes worldwide, is taken by minor commercial fishing, is sold at a high price and is usually used as bait. Maximum length is about 104 cm total length. It is found worldwide in warm seas, in the eastern Pacific from California to Peru and in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to Florida, the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Trophic level is 3.7, fishing vulnerability moderate at 40 of 100, and resilience low. IUCN lists it as near threatened. Large individuals carry a ciguatera risk in some areas.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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