Spearfishing Marine Life Identification for Spearfishers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which fish is the Florida Spearfishing Association's most commonly targeted trophy species and is identified by its elongated, torpedo-shaped silver body with dark spots?
- Cobia
- Florida Pompano
- Greater Amberjack (Correct answer)
- Florida Goliath Grouper
Correct answer: Greater Amberjack
Greater Amberjack is a premier spearfishing target in Florida, identifiable by its elongated silver body, amber lateral stripe, and dark dorsal saddle marking.
Question 2: What distinguishing feature separates a legal-size Yellowfin Tuna from a Blackfin Tuna in US Atlantic waters?
- Body color
- The elongated yellow dorsal and anal fin rays in larger specimens (Correct answer)
- Number of gill rakers
- Tail shape
Correct answer: The elongated yellow dorsal and anal fin rays in larger specimens
Yellowfin Tuna develop dramatically elongated sickle-shaped yellow dorsal and anal fins as they grow, a feature absent in the smaller Blackfin Tuna.
Question 3: Why must US spearfishers be able to positively identify a Goliath Grouper before shooting?
- They are poisonous
- They are fully protected and cannot be harvested in US federal waters (Correct answer)
- They are too large to spear
- They are a bait species only
Correct answer: They are fully protected and cannot be harvested in US federal waters
Goliath Grouper (formerly Jewfish) have been protected under a federal harvest ban since 1990 due to severe population decline.
Question 4: How can a spearfisher quickly distinguish a Lionfish from a Scorpionfish on a Florida reef?
- Lionfish has camouflage coloring; Scorpionfish is bright red
- Lionfish has long, fan-like venomous spines and bold striped pattern; Scorpionfish is cryptic and lumpy (Correct answer)
- Lionfish is larger
- Scorpionfish swims in open water
Correct answer: Lionfish has long, fan-like venomous spines and bold striped pattern; Scorpionfish is cryptic and lumpy
Lionfish have dramatic elongated pectoral fan fins and bold red-white-brown stripes, while Scorpionfish rely on bumpy camouflage to blend into the reef.
Question 5: What reef fish found in the US Gulf of Mexico is entirely protected and features a distinctive blue-green parrot-beak-like mouth?
- Hogfish
- Queen Parrotfish (Correct answer)
- Sheepshead
- Triggerfish
Correct answer: Queen Parrotfish
Queen Parrotfish are a protected species in US Gulf and Atlantic waters, recognizable by their fused beak-like teeth and vivid terminal phase coloration.
Question 6: Which feature most reliably identifies a Cobia versus a Remora when encountered while spearfishing?
- Cobia has a suction disk on its head; Remora does not
- Cobia has a broad, depressed head and lacks the dorsal suction disk present on Remora (Correct answer)
- Both look identical underwater
- Cobia has stripes; Remora does not
Correct answer: Cobia has a broad, depressed head and lacks the dorsal suction disk present on Remora
Remora have a distinctive oval suction disk on the top of their head for attaching to hosts; Cobia have a broad flat head without a disk and are a legal target species.
Spearfishing Marine Life Identification for Spearfishers 1
Which fish is the Florida Spearfishing Association's most commonly targeted trophy species and is identified by its elongated, torpedo-shaped silver body with dark spots?