Cutlassfishes

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Q 1.
	Is the ribbonfish related to the barracuda?
Q 2.
	We are suffering an “infestation” of the cutlassfish (called “ribbon fish” in these waters). It is caught in quantities from bridges and from trolling boats in the St. Lucie River. I am told it is related to mackerel and is quite good-eating as well as an excellent cut-bait, although its ferocious teeth and eel-like appearance would detract from its table-value for many of us. Is it dangerous to swimmers?
Q 3.
	Are cutlassfish prevalent in Florida’s waters?
Q 4.
	The escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) is a member of the snake mackerel family, Gempylidae, according to A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada (fourth edition, 1980, page 55). Did you inadvertently place the escolar in the wrong family - Trichiuridae - in the May-June Sea Frontiers/Sea Secrets, page 217?


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	Q&A 1.	Is the ribbonfish related to the barracuda?
	No. The ribbonfish (also known as cutlass fish or scabbard fish) is a peculiar eel-like fish distantly related to the mackerel. The body is silvery, flattened, and the tail tapers to a threadlike point. Although this fish, Trichiurus lepturus, has a head and teeth superficially resembling a barracuda, the two are in no way related. The ribbonfish reaches a length of 5 feet and feeds on other fishes, but is harmless to man.
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	Q&A 2.	We are suffering an “infestation” of the cutlassfish (called “ribbon fish” in these waters). It is caught in quantities from bridges and from trolling boats in the St. Lucie River. I am told it is related to mackerel and is quite good-eating as well as an excellent cut-bait, although its ferocious teeth and eel-like appearance would detract from its table-value for many of us. Is it dangerous to swimmers? Stuart, Florida
	The cutlassfish is placed in the family Trichiuridae, a group allied to the mackerels and snake mackerels but not identical with them. These fish move into bays and estuaries in considerable numbers, possibly in connection with spawning, and at such times they are taken in abundance by fishermen. They are not a source of danger in the water, and once caught and landed seem to offer no resistance. Their silvery color and tough skin make them a good source of cut bait; and some fishermen who have taken the trouble to prepare them for the table declare them to be of good flavor. Cutlassfish are abundant in tropical and warm temperate seas throughout the world.
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	Q&A 3.	Are cutlassfish prevalent in Florida’s waters? Everglades, Florida
	The cutlassfish is irregularly abundant in Florida waters. At times, several months or maybe a year may pass when they are not seen. At others Biscayne Bay is so full of them that every other angler along the bridges seems to have one on his line. Therefore, the species should not be considered in any sense rare and there is really nothing unusual about its occurrence in your neighborhood. They are taken regularly on the Dry Tortugas shrimp grounds near Key West, in the trawl nets.
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	Q&A 4.	The escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) is a member of the snake mackerel family, Gempylidae, according to A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada (fourth edition, 1980, page 55). Did you inadvertently place the escolar in the wrong family - Trichiuridae - in the May-June Sea Frontiers/Sea Secrets, page 217? San Diego, California
	The fifth edition of the above-named publication will place the snake mackerels and cutlassfishes in the same family, Trichiuridae, according to Dr. C. Richard Robins, Chairman of the Committee on Names of Fishes, American Fisheries Society. This change has already been published in scientific journals; therefore, we incorporated it into the answer to question 3941.
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	Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Library University of Miami, FL USA 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 Phone: 305 421 4060 Fax: 305 421 9306 E-mail: libcirc@rsmas.miami.edu		go to the top