On the Trail of the Longfin Bonefish.....

Shafted Bonefish, Albula nemoptera: Shows up when one purchases a “scoop of bait.” Caught in the surf zone, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, during late December 2003, with a water temperature of 76 degrees, early morning, in 5 to 10 foot water, utilizing a cast net by panguero bait salesmen. Size of specimen in photo without the angler is approximately 8 inches and 1 pound. Virtually an unknown species to locals. Description and photo courtesy John Snow.


Photo credit for Shafted Bonefish with angler, Albula nemoptera: Found at El Rincon, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 2000. Description and photo courtesy Peter Langstraat.

The mouth of the Shafted Bonefish reaches the eye, another key identification characteristic. The Shafted Bonefish is very similar to and at first sight can be easily confused with three species, the Eastern Pacific Bonefish, Albula esuncula; the Ladyfish, Elops affinis; and the Milk Fish, Chanos chanos. However, none of these three species has an elongated anal or dorsal fin ray. The Shafted Bonefish reaches 2 feet in length and is normally found in the first 30 feet of the water column over sandy bottoms.The Shafted Bonefish is a member of the Albulidae or Bonefish Family which consists of only one genus, Albula.


BONEFISH [bonefish] common name for a fish belonging to either of two species of the family Albulidae. Albula vulpes is widespread in warm, shallow marine waters, and Dixonina nemoptera is found only in the West Indies. The bonefish is silvery in color, with a long, deeply forked tail and a single dorsal fin; it has a pointed head covered by a thick, transparent cartilage and a receding mouth filled with numerous small rounded teeth. D. nemoptera is distinguished by two long trailing filaments, one extending from its dorsal fin and one from its anal fin. Also known as ladyfish and banana fish, the bonefish may reach 3.5 ft (107 cm) in length, and 18 lb (8 kg) in weight. It is a bottom dweller of shallow, sandy areas where it feeds on crabs, shrimp, and worms. It is much prized as a game fish, despite the numerous tiny bones that limit its appeal as food. It is classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Clupeiformes, family Albulidae. Author not available, BONEFISH., The Columbia Encyclopedia,
Sixth Edition 2006


From The University of Florida:Taxonomy- Linnaeus described the bonefish in 1758, designating it a species within the genus Esox, a taxon that at the time already referred to at least one species of the holarctic freshwater pikes and pickerels. Recognizing the conflict, later workers placed the bonefish in the available genus Albula. The scientific name Albula vulpes is derived from Latin, and can be translated as "white fox". Other synonyms of Albula vulpes include, Esox argenteus, Albula conorynchus, Albula plumier, Amis immaculata, Clupea brasilienses, Clupea macrocephala, Butyrinus bananus, Engraulis sericus, Engraulis bahiensis, Glossodus forskalii, Albula goreensis, Albula parrae, Albula seminuda, Albula rostrata, Esunculus costai, Atopichthys esunculus, and Albula virgata. At least one other species of bonefish exists, the shafted bonefish, described and named by Fowler as Dixonina nemoptera in 1911. However, some scientists argue that the differences between the two species do not warrant genetic separation, and that both should be included within the genus Albula.

Catches for research have been made in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Countries where Albula nemoptera is found ( incomplete )
Point map (with point info)

Brazil
BRA
native

7251
Colombia
COL
native

5217
Dominican Rp
DOM
native

12965
Ecuador
ECU
native

40498
Fr Guiana
GUF
native

13608
Jamaica
JAM
native

27228
Nicaragua
NIC
native

13613
Panama
PAN
native

7251
Suriname
SUR
native

13608
Trinidad Tob
TTO
native

33407
Venezuela
VEN
native

Page created by: Eli, 10.05.99, last modified by Eli, 01.02.06.

This is just a searching foray into what I see as a genetic variation of the world's most popular flats fish. I'd love to catch one..would you?

Jan