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Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.

Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
Γοφάρι

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

30 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

May – September

Advice for Consumption

Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable.

Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected.

Choose responsibly by respecting sustainable size limits and avoiding consumption during the breeding season.

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature fish helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Common names

FR

Tassergal

it

Pesce serra

es

Cherna

tr

Lufer

pt

Anchova

nl

Blauwbaars

de

Blaufisch

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Elongated fusiform silver body with a greenish back. Two dorsal fins, the first smaller and the second going all the way back to the base of the tail. One anal fin, two small pelvic fins and a forked caudal fin.

It looks like Lichia amia (Leerfish), it has a slender, elongated body with a dark blue-green back and silvery-white sides, while Pomatomus saltatrix is stouter, with a greenish-blue back and sharper teeth. The leerfish’s sleek shape contrasts with the bluefish’s robust, aggressive build.

Did you know?

Female bluefish lay between 400,000 and 2 million eggs, which hatch just 48 hours after being released!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on other fish, crustaceans and cephalopods.

habitat

Pelagic (occur in oceanic and coastal waters).
They are most common along surf beaches and rock headlands in clean, high energy waters, although adults can also be found in estuaries and into brackish water.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 130 cm
Max weight: 14.4 kg
Depth range: 0-200 m

breeding & Growth

The timing of their spawning is closely tied to water temperature, typically occurring between spring and early autumn.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.18yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 9-12 years
Max reported age: 14 years
Distribution: Portugal to South Africa, including the Mediterranean and Black Sea, Madeira and the Canary Islands.

appearance changes

They undergo appearance changes primarily through ontogenetic (age-related) growth and stress responses.

Reproductive Cycle

A female produces between 400,000 and 2 million eggs per year, depending on her size. Rather than releasing all eggs at once, they spawn multiple batches throughout their annual warm-weather breeding season.
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If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, please visit our website: https://archipelago.gr/

Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns –
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms