*Information from FAO Species Identification Guide Western Central Atlantic*
Size
Maximum size to 50 cm, commonly 35 cm; world game record 0.93 kg (as Sphyraena picudilla).
Habitat, biology, and fisheries
Inhabits coastal waters at depths between 10 and 65 m, often forming large schools; found over all kinds of substrate, but more abundant over muddy bottoms. Juveniles occur in seagrass beds. Feeds mainly on small fishes, squids, and shrimps. Main fishing grounds are coastal areas of continental and island shelves, especially around Cuba and off the Guianas. Caught mainly with trammel nets; also with bottom trawls (especially beam trawls). Of minor commercial importance in the American tropics; marketed fresh and frozen. Although reported to be excellent eating, it is often not regarded as a foodfish. It has never been reported as ciguatoxic.
Distribution
Very common from Nova Scotia and Massachusetts to southern Florida, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean coast of Central America; also recorded (as S. picudilla) from the Bahamas, throughout the Antilles to the Guianas, and extending southwards to latitude 36°S. Sphyraena picudilla (Poey 1860), considered by some authors to be a different species, is here regarded as a junior synonym of S. borealis (for discussion see Smith-Vaniz et al., 1999).
