You can find Atlantic spadefish in the shallow waters of the east coast
These silvery zebra striped fish are called Atlantic spadefish. They grow to a couple feet long and can be found on their own or schooling with others. They tend to be unafraid of scuba divers. In fact, they may even be curious of scuba diver bubbles. I’ve found they tend to approach divers and sometimes swim around them, hence how I got this photograph.
This photo was taken in Key Largo, Florida. If you look closely, you will see a couple cubera snappers at the bottom of the school of Atlantic spadefish. You can find Atlantic spadefish in the shallow waters of the east coast. They are considered a common sighting in Florida. Atlantic spadefish can be found all the way up to Massachusetts! They are also in the Gulf of Mexico and as far south as Brazil.
Atlantic spadefish have a unique body plan. They are thin and round like a dinner plate with four to six vertical black bars. Anglers say they put up a good fight and they are considered sportfish to some because of this. However, they are also eaten, although it is not something I’ve seen on a menu. I’ve heard they are good smoked or grilled.
When shooting photographs of schools of fish, I like to get low and shoot upwards. It is then wise to focus on framing, trying to get as many fish as possible in the photo. With underwater strobe photography you then have to consider how far your subject is. A photographer considers how many strobes they have and what their capabilities are. Water is very dense and it absorbs the light spectrum as you descend. With a couple correctly positioned strobes a few feet from the school of fish I know I can light up most of them. I also know that bright flashes of light can startle people and animals alike, so I only count on having one opportunity to capture the image.
They are thin and round like a dinner plate with four to six vertical black bars
Did you know?
- The scientific name for Atlantic spadefish is Chaetodipterus faber. The meaning of the Greek word “chaiti” is “mane” and the Greek word “dipteros” means “with two fins”.
- Atlantic spadefish spawn in the spring and summer. A female Atlantic spadefish can release a million eggs a year!
- People have caught spadefish that weigh as much as 20 pounds!
- Atlantic spadefish are often confused with sheepshead and black drum, two fish that also have black striping.
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