Everyone who is fond of sea sport fishing knows about who such a fish is bluefish. A photo with this marine beast is direct evidence that a person has the right to call himself a master of fishing. However, catching her is not so simple. Especially if the fisherman is unfamiliar with her habits and lifestyle.
Lufar fish: description
Lufar is a marine representative of ray-finned fish, which belong to the perciform order. This is a fairly large predator: adult individuals grow more than 1 meter in length, while their weight can reach 15 kilograms. However, such giants are rare today, because the fish bluefish often becomes a victim of fishing.
Now let's talk about the appearance of the fish. This marine creature has a flattened body shape. On the back there are two fins with thin cartilaginous rays. Moreover, the first of them is much sharper, which can be seen even with the naked eye. In addition, there are two pectoral and two ventral fins, as well as a fork-shaped tail.
The fish bluefish itself has a dark blue color, with admixtures of greenish scales. The upper part is much darker than the lower. A similar color scheme is the main weapon of a marine predator. Thanks to him, he can discourage other fish, which during the escape do not have time to fix the maneuvers of his pursuer.
Habitat and habitat
Many Russian fishermen are convinced that only we have bluefish. The Black Sea, in truth, is indeed one of the largest havens of this predator, but far from the only one. Large populations of this species can be found in the waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
In general, bluefin fish can settle in any sea, provided that the water in it is quite warm. Therefore, do not be surprised that fishermen can catch this glorious prey both off the coast of the Black Sea and near the arid regions of Africa.
Habits and lifestyle
Bluefin fish prefers to lead a flocking lifestyle. Moreover, sometimes the number of such a "family" can reach several thousand individuals. On the one hand, this makes the predator very dangerous for other fish, and on the other hand, it turns it into easy prey for fishing net nets .
In addition, bluefish does not like to stay in one place for a long time. Together with his flock, he constantly migrates, adhering to warm waters. In the hot periods of the year it can even go to estuaries or estuaries, but when the temperature drops a little, it returns to the sea again.
Diet and method of hunting
Lufar is a predator. Due to its size, it can hunt both small and medium-sized fish. For example, anchovies, horse mackerel, herring, sardine, hamsa and so on can become its victims. In addition, the predator sometimes eats small mollusks, which they did not manage to hide in time from it.
In addition, this species is characterized by an incredible speed of movement. Breaking into the schools of other fish, he accelerates them on different sides, making them vulnerable to rapid attacks. It is curious that for a long time scientists could not understand how exactly bluefish catches its prey. This is due to the lightning speed of the fish, because of which it was impossible to keep track of it with the naked eye.
Fortunately, modern technologies have helped to discern how the Black Sea bluefin hunts. Photos taken at a speed of 32 frames per second well reflect the entire process of feeding a predator. So, approaching his victim, the hunter opens his mouth and with all his strength releases air from the gills - this instantly accelerates it, allowing you to catch prey in the blink of an eye. And then the thing remains for small - to quickly chew prey.
Breeding and spawning period
Lufar reaches puberty at the age of 2-4 years. Fish spawning takes place only in well-warmed water, and therefore often falls in July or August. Females lay eggs directly into the sea, not particularly worried about her future. Most eggs will die or be eaten, but this will not affect the population.
Indeed, at one time the female can lay up to 1 million eggs, which fully compensates for all possible losses. In addition, the fry is born after 2-3 days, and immediately begins to eat on its own.
Value for man
Lufar meat is very valuable. This is due to two factors: firstly, it is tasty, and secondly, it contains a small percentage of fat. Because of this, many fishing companies catch this particular species. The largest production of this fish is conducted off the coast of Australia, Venezuela and Brazil.
In addition, many fishermen organize competitions for catching bluefish. Moreover, such events are held annually both in our homeland and abroad. Such popularity of fish is justified, because only a skilled and strong fisherman who knows his job can catch it.