Pinfish

Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) is a saltwater, freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 6–30 m.

Scientific name: Lagodon rhomboides · Water: Saltwater, Freshwater, Brackish

Size: up to 40 cm

About

The pinfish is a demersal sparid commonly found on vegetated bottoms, occasionally over rocky bottoms and in mangrove areas, and it is recorded from 6 to 30 m; that range comes from a baitfish survey and FishBase notes that it is provisional and should be replaced with a better reference. It enters brackish water and even fresh water, often forms large aggregations, and feeds mainly on small animals, especially crustaceans, but also takes mollusks, worms and occasionally small fishes. Its range is the western Atlantic, from Massachusetts and Bermuda and the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Keys and Yucatan in Mexico, and it also occurs off the northern coast of Cuba. Maximum length is about 40 cm total length, commonly about 18 cm, and it matures at about 13.1 cm. It is a minor commercial species, a gamefish and a bait species, with a very high price category. Fishing vulnerability is low to moderate at 34 of 100 and resilience medium. IUCN lists it as least concern.

Ecology and habitat

Water layer
Bottom-dwelling
Depth
6–30 m
Distribution status
Native
Trophic level
4.4

Fishery and market

Game fish
Yes
Market price
Very high
Resilience
Medium

Methods

Sources

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