Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Many large pelagic fish are oceanic nomadic species that undertake long offshore migrations. They feed on small pelagic forage fish, as well as medium-sized pelagic fish. At times, they follow their schooling prey, and many species form schools themselves.
Examples of species include forage fish such as anchovies, sardines, shad, and menhaden and the predatory fish that feed on them. Oceanic pelagic fish typically inhabit waters below the continental shelf. Examples include larger fish such as swordfish, tuna, mackerel, and even sharks.
Pelagic fish are a diverse group of aquatic species that inhabit the open waters of the world’s oceans. They can be found throughout the entire water column, from the surface to the deep sea, and they play critical roles in marine ecosystems.
Lists of marine pelagic fish species may be broken down into five subcategories based on the depth of water a species most commonly inhabits. These layers of water, in order of increasing depth, include the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic and hadopelagic zones.
Pelagic fish typically occupy the midwater and upper layers of the oceans. They are widespread, occupying many different marine ecosystems and account for approximately 20%–25% of the total annual world fisheries catch. Some examples of small pelagic species include herring, pilchards, mackerel and whiting.
These pelagic species live in the water of the open ocean, although they may spend part of their life cycle in nearshore waters. Highly migratory species managed by NOAA Fisheries include tunas, some sharks, swordfish, billfish, and other highly sought-after fish such as Pacific mahi mahi.
Pelagic fish are a group of diverse fish species that inhabit the pelagic zone of the world's oceans. This zone is the vertical column of large bodies of water such as seas and very deep lakes which does not contain solid structures.