Bonefish

Albula vulpes

Fish
IUCN: Near threatened

Usual depth0–18 m
Water temperature13–29 °C
Best monthsApril
How commonOccasional

Photo credit: (c) James-LaFontaine, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by James-LaFontaine · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The bonefish or bananafish is the type species of the bonefish family (Albulidae), the only family in order Albuliformes.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Bonefish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 59 records
February: 63 records
March: 93 records
April: 377 records
May: 100 records
June: 60 records
July: 70 records
August: 49 records
September: 32 records
October: 39 records
November: 37 records
December: 48 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–18 m · Deepest record: 124 m

0–10 m: 58 records
10–20 m: 3 records
20–30 m: 2 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 1 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 13–29 °C

12–14 °C: 1 records
14–16 °C: 0 records
16–18 °C: 0 records
18–20 °C: 0 records
20–22 °C: 2 records
22–24 °C: 21 records
24–26 °C: 25 records
26–28 °C: 182 records
28–30 °C: 31 records

Photos

(c) Brian Gratwicke, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Joshua Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) James-LaFontaine, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) keesgroenendijk, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
(c) Ron Burkert, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Bonefish, Banana fish, bonefish, Common Bonefish, Lady fish, Roundjaw bonefish, Salmon peel, West Atlantic Bonefish

Names in 5 more languages

German: Frauenfisch
Spanish: macabí
French: Banane, Banane de mer, Sorte de mulet, Tarpon
Indonesian: Pisang-pisang
Simplified Chinese: 北梭魚

Other scientific names: Albula conorynchus, Albula lacustris, Albula parrae, Albula plumieri, Albula rostrata, Amia immaculata, Butyrinus bananus, Clupea brasiliensis, Clupea macrocephala, Engraulis bahiensis, Engraulis sericus, Esox vulpes, Esunculus costai, Glossodus forskalii

Similar species

Longjaw bonefish
Albula argentea
Smallscale Bonefish
Albula oligolepis

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
4,752 open-data records from 1758 to 2023.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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