Spade fish (Chaetodipterus faber )

Spade fish (Chaetodipterus faber )

Also know as … angelfishes, atlantic spades, butterfly fishes, jackasses, leather coats, moonfish, ocean cobblers, paouas, pot covers, sea donkeys, spadefishes, Threebanded sheepheads, threetailed porgy, tripletails, white angels, and white angelfishes  

Description …

The spade fish is a deep bodied fish with pointed second anal and dorsal fins.  These give the fish an almost triangular shape or appearance.   They are silvery gray in color with 4 to 6 prominent stripes or black bars that run down the sides.  The juvenile’s bars are very dark and color and are faded out in adults. They lack teeth in a relatively small mouth compared to the overall size of the fish’s body.  The body is flattened or spade shaped with a concave tail or caudal fin.  They are sometimes mistaken for angel fish due to their body shape.  They are found around natural and artificial reefs, especially near navigation markers typically in 15 to 20 feet of water.  They can be readily caught on fishbites, bloodworms, squid and small pieces of clam in top and bottom rigs.   They are fun fish to catch, put up a great fight, and make a decent meal.  They travel in schools as they move up and down the coast following warmer waters.

Delaware Creel limits …  None